The first two-thirds of May are traditionally considered the most...calm period of the year when it comes to the computer industry. Iron manufacturers do not make major announcements - because the annual Computex exhibition starts at the end of the month, where the largest players present a lot of the latest products. This time we expect loud announcements from AMD - the Ryzen 3000 processors will be officially presented (according to our data, the "red" chips will go on sale in July or even August) for the AM4 platform, as well as Navi generation graphics accelerators. Surely something interesting was in store for eternal competitors - Intel and NVIDIA.
The next issue of "Computer of the Month" is traditionally released with the support of the computer store "". On the site you can always arrange delivery to any point of our country and pay for the order online. Details can be read at . "Regard" among users is famous for quite adequate prices for computer components and a large selection of products. In addition, the store has : you make a configuration - employees of the company collect it.
«” is a partner of the rubric, so in the “Computer of the Month” we focus on products that are sold in this particular store. Any build shown in Computer of the Month is just a guideline. Links in the "Computer of the Month" lead to the corresponding categories of goods in the store. In addition, the tables show the current prices at the time of writing, rounded up to a multiple of 500 rubles. Naturally, during the "life cycle" of the material (one month from the date of publication), the cost of certain goods can either increase or decrease.
For beginners who still can’t decide on their own to “make” a PC for themselves, it turned out for assembling the system unit. It turns out that in» I tell you what to assemble a computer from, and in the manual - how to do it.
As a reminder, I no longer recommend a specific size hard drive for PC of the Month builds. It's just that in the comments to each issue there are constantly discussions on this subject. Some people think that the HDD in the computer is no longer needed. Others are not ready to spend money on an SSD, believing that it is of no use in a gaming PC. Still others scoff at the volume, offering drives of 3, 4 terabytes and more. As you can see, you can't please everyone. I agree with the opinion that the organization of the disk subsystem in a PC is a purely individual approach. Therefore, do as you see fit.
Starter Assembly
"Entrance ticket" to the world of modern PC games. The system will allow you to play all AAA projects in Full HD resolution, mainly at high graphics quality settings, but sometimes you will have to set medium ones. Such systems do not have a serious margin of safety (for the next 2-3 years), are replete with compromises, need to be upgraded, but also cost less than other configurations.
| Starter Assembly | |||
| Processor | 6 500 rub. | ||
| 8 500 rub. | |||
| Motherboard | examples: • Gigabyte GA-AB350M-DS3H V2; • ASRock AB350M-HDV R3.0 |
4 500 rub. | |
| examples: • ASRock H310M-HDV; • MSI H310M PRO-VD; • GIGABYTE H310M H |
4 000 rub. | ||
| RAM | 3 500 rub. | ||
| 3 000 rub. | |||
| Video card | 13 500 rub. | ||
| Drive | examples: • Crucial BX500 (CT240BX500SSD1); • ADATA Ultimate SU655 (ASU655SS-240GT-C) |
2 500 rub. | |
| CPU cooler | 1 000 rub. | ||
| Chassis | 1 500 rub. | ||
| Power supply unit | 4 000 rub. | ||
| Total | AMD - 37 rubles. Intel - 38 rubles. |
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If you remember, the shortage of Intel processors began back in August last year - it will soon be a year when the Core family chips are sold at, let's say, very inflated prices. Even then, I was forced to abandon the use of the Core i3-8100 in the launch assembly and began to recommend "hyperpni", but last month the situation changed. In May, Intel chips went up again, but for some reason the younger 4-core Coffee Lake bypassed this trend. At least some good news! Opposing the Core i3-8100 is another 4-core Ryzen 3 2300X, and our tests show that you have equivalent chips when it comes to a gaming PC.
Ryzen 3 2300X is a real find for the Russians, because we have it on sale! We would take Ryzen 3 1200 into the starting assembly - it seems like 1 rubles remained in our pocket, but the system . The success of the Ryzen 3 2300X lies in the use of only one CXX module, and this is a huge advantage over the quad-core predecessors with the Summit Ridge design. It turns out that when sending data or accessing the L3 cache memory, the cores do without using the Infinity Fabric bus, which often becomes a bottleneck in existing processors with the Zen / Zen + microarchitecture. At the same time, the processor is compatible with motherboards that support Pinnacle Ridge (Ryzen 2200 5G and Ryzen 2400 XNUMXG), just in case, I advise you to contact the store's warranty department so that you can update the BIOS of the motherboard to the latest version.
Traditionally, motherboards based on the B350 chipset are recommended for the starter assembly, but not the A320, because the former support overclocking of the central processor. And if you choose a motherboard based on the A320 chipset, you won't save much - at best, 500-700 rubles, if you look towards the cheapest models. I liked the Gigabyte GA-AB350M-DS3H V2 model because for 4 rubles we can take a device with four DIMM ports. In such a board, as you understand, you can install two modules of 500 GB each. Naturally, using memory in dual-channel mode, the system will run faster. In any case, I recommend not to pull with a RAM upgrade - a modern gaming PC .
One of the disadvantages of the Ryzen 3 2300X is its implementation exclusively as an OEM. Still, inexpensive Ryzen chips come with good boxed coolers. In our case, it will have to be additionally spent. For a long time I chose a model costing no more than 500 rubles, but all cooling systems in this price category have a bunch of drawbacks. So I suggest taking the DeepCool GAMMAXX 200T - the same cooler is recommended in the base assembly.
The launch build still uses the Radeon RX 570 graphics card with 8 GB of onboard memory. This is the best solution - the best, despite the release of the GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB model. In Regard, by the way, they are already being sold at prices ranging from 12 to 500 rubles. Interestingly, the 14 GB version of the Radeon RX 500 can be purchased for 4 rubles. Unfortunately, our site has not yet published a review of the GeForce GTX 570, but even without practical testing, after studying the technical characteristics of the device, it is obvious that the Radeon RX 11 with 000 GB of video memory looks preferable.
The GeForce GTX 1650 is only worth considering when it drops below $10, and only if you can't afford an 000GB Radeon RX 570 or faster.
You can forget about the existence of the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti! It is strange that versions of this video card do not get cheaper. Who will buy you for 11 rubles?
Basic Assembly
With such a PC, you can safely play the next couple of years in all modern games in Full HD resolution at high and maximum graphics quality settings.
| Basic Assembly | |||
| Processor | 11 000 rub. | ||
| 13 000 rub. | |||
| Motherboard | Example: • ASRock AB350M Pro4 |
5 500 rub. | |
| Example: • ASRock B360M Pro4 |
6 000 rub. | ||
| RAM | 7 000 rub. | ||
| 7 000 rub. | |||
| Video card | 17 500 rub. | ||
| Storage devices | examples: • Crucial BX500 (CT240BX500SSD1); • ADATA Ultimate SU655 (ASU655SS-240GT-C) |
2 500 rub. | |
| HDD of your choice | — | ||
| CPU cooler | 1 000 rub. | ||
| Chassis | 3 000 rub. | ||
| Power supply unit | 4 000 rub. | ||
| Total | AMD - 51 rubles. Intel - 54 rubles. |
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In the base Intel configuration, the replacement: the Core i5-8400 leaves the assembly, the Core i1151-2F is installed in the LGA5-v9400 socket. Let me remind you that in April there was a “triumphant” return of the younger six-core Coffee Lake. The base build only relied on the AMD AM4 platform for six months. In April, the Core i5-8400 cost 13 rubles - with a big stretch, but this chip "squeezed" into the monitored configuration. At the same time, they asked for 500 rubles less for the Core i5-9400F. As you know, when all cores are loaded, the frequency of the second chip turns out to be 20 MHz higher (100 GHz), but the letter “F” in the name says that we have a rejection, the video core is disabled for the chip. Naturally, at the same price, it is better to take a "full-fledged" CPU, even taking into account the fact that we always use discrete graphics in the assembly. Personally, in my life there have been cases when the built-in video core turned out to be very handy. However, in May, the Core i3,9-5 went up by as much as 8400 rubles. The Core i2-500F costs 5 rubles - now the price difference is significant - and we take it. By the way, on our website you can find .
Or take the Ryzen 5 2600 - in May it costs less than the Ryzen 5 1600X, although . Quite often, readers suggest using boxed coolers in the starting, basic, and optimal builds. At the same time, 6-core AMD and Intel processors cannot be called cold - even the Core i5-9400F, which, as it turned out, is a relabeled and slightly overclocked version of the Core i5-8400, and therefore does not have solder under the cover. Therefore, a small tower-type cooler will be useful, and if you plan to overclock the AMD Ryzen 5 2600, you can count on a stable 3,7-3,8 GHz with a slight increase in heat dissipation. To overclock Ryzen to 3,9-4,1 GHz, it is necessary to significantly increase the voltage - up to 1,45 V. The manufacturer himself does not recommend raising it higher - this can lead to processor degradation.
As a matter of fact, if you initially plan to overclock an AMD processor, then it makes no sense to take a more expensive model in the series. Instead of the same Ryzen 5 2600, you can safely take the Ryzen 5 1600, while the savings will be only 2 rubles, taking into account rounding. I have repeatedly noted that the rule “if I overclock the processor, I will take the youngest chip in the series with the desired number of cores” is relevant for all models: Ryzen 000, Ryzen 3 and Ryzen 5.
Please note that boards based on the B2000 chipset are used in the assembly along with the Ryzen 350 series processors. Even in May 2019, the store can sell you a motherboard with an old BIOS version. As a result, the device simply will not detect a new chip. You can update the BIOS version yourself, armed with a first generation Ryzen processor, or ask for it in the warranty department of the store where the board was purchased.
GeForce GTX 1660 graphics cards are on sale! In Regard, their cost starts from 16 rubles and ends at 500 rubles. Our tests show that 13% ahead of the GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB and 8% ahead of the Radeon RX 590, but 17% behind the GeForce GTX 1070 and GeForce GTX 1660 Ti. At the same time, the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti can be bought for 20-500 rubles. As always, in the case of Low- and Middle-segment adapters, I recommend not spending money on fancy versions and taking something simpler. Remember we spent ? The TDP level of the GP106 processor is 120W. Testing has shown that even simple coolers quite effectively cool such a chip, as well as the entire external piping. I'm sure the budget versions of the GeForce GTX 1660 (Ti) will also work well, because the TDP of the TU116 processor is also 120 watts. Whether it is worth paying extra 4 rubles (~000%) for a 24% increase in games is, of course, up to you, dear readers. I believe that it is the GeForce GTX 17 that can be installed in the base assembly, and if desired, win back 1660-10% using overclocking.
Even if such amounts for the purchase of a video card are unbearable for you, then it remains only to take the Radeon RX 570 (13-500 rubles for the 14-gigabyte version), Radeon RX 000 (8-580 rubles for the 14-gigabyte version), Radeon RX 500 (26-000 rubles) or GeForce GTX 8 (590-18 rubles for a 000-gigabyte version).
The only negative point of the GeForce GTX 1660 (Ti) is considered to be a small amount of video memory. Here I agree with my colleague Valery Kosikhin: the GeForce GTX 1660 will leave the race ahead of its rivals in the face of the Radeon RX due to a lack of two gigabytes of VRAM. However, the base assembly is still a compromise system, so the new NVIDIA looks appropriate here.
Optimal Assembly
A system that, in most cases, can run this or that game at the maximum graphics quality settings in Full HD resolution and at high settings in WQHD resolution.
| Optimal Assembly | |||
| Processor | 12 500 rub. | ||
| 13 000 rub. | |||
| Motherboard | examples: • Gigabyte B450 AORUS ELITE • ASRock B450 Steel Legend |
7 500 rub. | |
| examples: • ASUS PRIME Z370M-PLUS II |
9 000 rub. | ||
| RAM | 7 000 rub. | ||
| Video card | 25 500 rub. | ||
| Storage devices | examples: • Samsung 860 EVO MZ-76E250; • Intel SSD 545s |
4 500 rub. | |
| HDD of your choice | — | ||
| CPU cooler | 2 000 rub. | ||
| Chassis | 4 500 rub. | ||
| Power supply unit | 6 500 rub. | ||
| Total | AMD - 70 rubles. Intel - 72 rubles. |
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Intel's optimal build also uses the Core i5-9400F. Interestingly, the Core i5-8500 and Core i5-8600 models cost 17 and 20 thousand rubles - a little expensive even for optimal assembly. It makes no sense to buy these chips at such prices.
Let's do it differently: in addition to the Core i5, we will take a board based on the Z370 Express or Z390 Express chipset. Yes, we have a processor that cannot be overclocked. However, we can speed it up with the help of fast RAM. that the "Core i5-8400 + DDR4-3200" bundle is not inferior to the "Core i5-8500 + DDR4-2666" tandem in terms of performance. Consequently, the Core i5-9400F will also become, let's say, one step higher. In addition, such a board will eventually allow replacing the younger 6-core with something more interesting and productive.
The optimal AMD assembly uses Ryzen 5 2600X, although for the same money we can take an 8-core Ryzen 7 1700. However, such a chip, together with a high-performance video card, should only be used for overclocking to at least 3,8-3,9 GHz. Although an absolute minority of users are engaged in overclocking, I personally would take the Ryzen 7 1700. But the Ryzen 5 2600X is more suitable for the average user - it already “plows” out of the box to the limit of its capabilities and there is no need to overclock it, since in the same games its frequency (with a good cooler) varies in the range from 4,1 to 4,3 GHz. It remains only to choose a memory kit for this chip, which will be guaranteed to work at a high frequency. Most builds recommend the G.Skill Aegis F4-3000C16D-16GISB, which is an inexpensive kit that overclocks to 3200 MHz.
And I still recommend video cards of the GeForce GTX 1070 (Ti) and Radeon RX Vega 56 level in the optimal assembly. These adapters are similar to the GeForce RTX 2060 in terms of performance, but are equipped with more video memory. In the long run, this point will definitely not work in favor of the more modern Turing adapter. In addition, ray tracing seriously increases VRAM consumption.
And yet, the readers are right: the GeForce RTX 2060 has been added to the table. Here is the most affordable graphics accelerator that makes it possible to try out ray tracing technology in practice. In April, as you know, NVIDIA released a driver that activates software ray tracing on video cards of the past generation. that only the GeForce GTX 1080 and GeForce GTX 1080 Ti are able to somehow provide a comfortable FPS in Battlefield V and Shadow of the Tomb Raider with moderate DXR effects settings. In Metro Exodus, Pascals has nothing to do with ray tracing. But the rest of the graphics cards that NVIDIA allowed for hybrid rendering along with the GeForce RTX 20 family did not live up to such an honor - especially the GeForce GTX 1060, which is only good for taking impressive screenshots. Of course, you can improve performance by reducing other detail settings, but in this case, rendering shadows and reflections using ray tracing hardly compensates for the overall drop in image quality. It's like screwing brand new chrome wheels to a rusty Zhiguli.
Source: 3dnews.ru