Help to choose components for a Ryzen rig

[robert44444uk]

Originally Posted by mackerel

The 1700 bundled cooler is sufficient not only for running it, but also a mild overclock if you were so brave.

Is this only ever going to be a CPU orientated compute system? For about an extra tenner you can go up to a CX450 (without M suffix) which would leave the door open to putting in a more powerful GPU in future. Note the CX450 only has a single PCIe power connector though, but from memory that'll cover you up to a 1070 on nvidia side or 580 on AMD. Also I believe the VS series are not considered great PSUs, so the CX will also get you a bit better build too.

Great. More money saved!

[robert44444uk]

Originally Posted by Mysticial

The 1700 comes with a cooler already. So if you don't intend to overclock, you won't need another cooler.

Cheers. Very helpful.

[M344587487]

Originally Posted by Prime95

No one has commented on the memory. Is 32GB overkill for this application?

Also, a 350W power supply is a little weak. Power supplies run at peak efficiency at roughly 50% load.

I assumed he needed the RAM, but if not I'd go for the minimum with dual channel (2x4GB). 350W is low, but with a crappy GPU he should be well under 50%, probably 100-120W (not that I'm recommending that PSU, I don't know it).

Originally Posted by robert44444uk

I don't know anything about graphics cards. Clearly I'm looking to spend as little as possible but are there better options which do not use much power?

I don't know how low the power consumption can go, but I bought a 2nd hand passive GPU that was pulled from a server on ebay, worked fine as a stop-gap. This one is £5 delivered but you need to buy a DMS-59 adapter for VGA (~£3) or DVI (~£4), this one is £7 with display port x2.

Unless you need the space (or are going to write to it a lot, more than the average bear) I'd get a 120GB SSD instead, this one looks good and saves £40 on the evo.

[robert44444uk]

Originally Posted by M344587487

I assumed he needed the RAM, but if not I'd go for the minimum with dual channel (2x4GB). 350W is low, but with a crappy GPU he should be well under 50%, probably 100-120W (not that I'm recommending that PSU, I don't know it).


I don't know how low the power consumption can go, but I bought a 2nd hand passive GPU that was pulled from a server on ebay, worked fine as a stop-gap. This one is £5 delivered but you need to buy a DMS-59 adapter for VGA (~£3) or DVI (~£4), this one is £7 with display port x2.

Unless you need the space (or are going to write to it a lot, more than the average bear) I'd get a 120GB SSD instead, this one looks good and saves £40 on the evo.

Again, thanks for the advice. Noted on the SSD. More money saved!!!

I'll be buying a ready made machine so I need to choose a graphics card from the various computer companies lists. Most companies assume I am using the Ryzen for gaming hence they are out to sell graphics cards that not only cost a lot but that, as I understand it, eat power. Hence it would be good to know what mainstream cards are power efficient as well as cheap. I take it that even the cheapest cards at least do the obvious and send a decent image to a flat screen.

[retina]

Sorry, I don't know anything about the prime gap code, but ...

If it doesn't use the GPU then don't buy one. Use the on-board VGA if it requires a monitor. Or just go headless.

If it doesn't read/write to the storage continuously then don't buy an SSD. An HDD should be fine.

[M344587487]

Originally Posted by retina

Sorry, I don't know anything about the prime gap code, but ...

If it doesn't use the GPU then don't buy one. Use the on-board VGA if it requires a monitor. Or just go headless.

If it doesn't read/write to the storage continuously then don't buy an SSD. An HDD should be fine.

Ryzen has no iGPU so it won't boot without a GPU, the monitor ports on the motherboard only work if your processor is an APU. There are a few motherboards that people report can go headless with Ryzen, but they are top end afaik.

[robert44444uk]

Originally Posted by retina

Sorry, I don't know anything about the prime gap code, but ...

If it doesn't use the GPU then don't buy one. Use the on-board VGA if it requires a monitor. Or just go headless.

If it doesn't read/write to the storage continuously then don't buy an SSD. An HDD should be fine.

Good. More money saved. It does not write to disk in any meaningful way.

[robert44444uk]

Originally Posted by M344587487

Ryzen has no iGPU so it won't boot without a GPU, the monitor ports on the motherboard only work if your processor is an APU. There are a few motherboards that people report can go headless with Ryzen, but they are top end afaik.

I won't want to go headless. Too
unnerving.

[M344587487]

Originally Posted by robert44444uk

Good. More money saved. It does not write to disk in any meaningful way.

A cheap SSD costs the same as a cheap HDD. If you were building it yourself I would even splurge an extra £2 on M.2 if the motherboard supports it. What's the cost difference between 120GB SSD and 500 GB HDD at the prebuilt sites you're looking at?

[retina]

Originally Posted by M344587487

Ryzen has no iGPU so it won't boot without a GPU, the monitor ports on the motherboard only work if your processor is an APU.

Oh. That point had completely failed to register with me. It sounds like a terrible design flaw if the CPU can't boot without a GPU.

[robert44444uk]

Right then, chaps and chappesses. I think I have my final choices now. I want to thank you all for all of your help. My final spec differs a lot from where I started, and I am sure I will get a machine that will purrrr.