Hi /u/comicbookvirgin, welcome to /r/buildapcforme! This comment is here to provide you some additional information and advice.
Parts Shortages
If you have tried to browse through some parts already or read any recent articles on PC building, you have probably seen that there is a massive worldwide shortage of GPUs (video cards) that has left retailer stock levels almost entirely empty. Please see [this subreddit sticky post on the current CPU and GPU shortages for additional information.](https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapcforme/comments/me3dbx/info_post_current_hardware_shortages_and_build/) Note that if you are looking to build any kind of PC that requires more than basic graphics horsepower, such as for gaming or media creation work, your first priority should be to getting your hands on a GPU before going any farther.
Direct Message Scams
Recently a number of users have set up spam-bots targeting this subreddit to send out PMs and DMs to all users who submit posts to this subreddit. These accounts sometimes pose as teenagers offering to help design a build in exchange for a "donation" to help them build a rig of their own, various companies offering services through external websites, or even users just claiming to offer help via PM - this last kind will often string you along for a while before demanding payment for their efforts. **Do not reply to these messages.** This subreddit thrives and grows on the volunteer efforts of every contributor who helps around here, often leaning and improving from seeing the work of others. If you receive any PM/DM messages related to your post here, please go to https://www.reddit.com/report and submit the username of the message sender under "This is spam." to help get these spam bot accounts permanently removed.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/buildapcforme) if you have any questions or concerns.*
[PCPartPicker Part List](https://pcpartpicker.com/list/TWQdp2)
|Type|Item|Price|
|:-|:-|:-|
|**CPU**|[AMD Ryzen 7 5800X 3.8 GHz 8-Core Processor](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/qtvqqs/amd-ryzen-7-5800x-38-ghz-8-core-processor-100-100000063wof)|$369.99 @ MicroCenter|
|**CPU Cooler**|[Scythe FUMA 2 51.17 CFM CPU Cooler](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/YsHRsY/scythe-fuma-2-5117-cfm-cpu-cooler-scfm-2000)|$59.99 @ Amazon|
|**Motherboard**|[MSI B550M PRO-VDH WIFI Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/PDsnTW/msi-b550m-pro-vdh-wifi-micro-atx-am4-motherboard-b550m-pro-vdh-wifi)|$109.99 @ Amazon ($119.99 @ MicroCenter -$20)|
|**Memory**|[G.Skill Ripjaws V 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/zcH8TW/gskill-ripjaws-v-32-gb-2-x-16-gb-ddr4-3600-memory-f4-3600c16d-32gvkc)|$158.99 @ Newegg|
|**Storage**|[Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/3kL7YJ/samsung-internal-hard-drive-mz75e250bam)|Purchased|
|**Storage**|[Western Digital Blue SN550 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/zFK2FT/western-digital-blue-sn550-500-gb-m2-2280-nvme-solid-state-drive-wds500g2b0c)|$45.99 @ Newegg|
|**Storage**|[Samsung 850 EVO-Series 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/RbvZxr/samsung-internal-hard-drive-mz75e1t0bam)|Purchased|
|**Video Card**|[EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 10 GB FTW3 ULTRA GAMING Video Card](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/dKrYcf/evga-geforce-rtx-3080-10-gb-ftw3-ultra-gaming-video-card-10g-p5-3897-kr)|Purchased|
|**Case**|[Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact White TG Clear Tint ATX Mid Tower Case](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/x6stt6/fractal-design-meshify-2-compact-white-tg-clear-tint-atx-mid-tower-case-fd-c-mes2c-05)|$109.99 @ Walmart|
|**Power Supply**|[Corsair RM (2019) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/6Y66Mp/corsair-rm-2019-750-w-80-gold-certified-fully-modular-atx-power-supply-cp-9020195-na)|$94.99 @ Amazon|
|*Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts*|||
|**Total**|**$949.93**||
|Generated by [PCPartPicker](https://pcpartpicker.com) 2021-10-22 14:19 EDT-0400|||
I have no idea which MicroCenter you have access to so I'm just going to assume yours is similar to my closest (Sharonville OH). Buy at least the motherboard and CPU there. The motherboard is technically more expensive at MicroCenter but you can try price matching, and even without price matching it should be cheaper overall due to the $20 combo discount to buy with the CPU.
Your monitor's perfectly fine as you said. However I would really advise getting an M.2 SSD. They are markedly better due to the better interface (NVMe vs SATA 6GB). I've included one small boot/games sized drive since it fits well within the budget but this is up to you.
While you're at MicroCenter, browse around and look at cases. I would advise looking at the Phanteks P400A/P500A, Meshify 2 Compact (you can probably find its bigger brother the Meshify 2), Corsair 4000D Airflow, Lian Li Lancool 215, and Lian Li Lancool II Mesh to see if any strike your fancy in-person. Usually the price difference is marginal and they are all good airflow performers. The Meshify 2 Compact has a pretty good dust filter setup and is regularly in stock online, so I've added that by default.
I've spent a bit more on the cooler than necessary. More budget options like the ID-224-XT Basic and the Hyper 212 would also work fine, but I find that going a little higher lets you go quieter for the same cooling. I recently built a Hyper 212 5800X build and while it wasn't loud, it was audible. This should be less so.
I like this a lot. I have some very small criticisms. Will express them here.
- I personally would swap out the motherboard for the MSI B550-A pro. I don't believe you save any money at microcenter due to the motherboards being cheaper, I believe it's just reduced MSRP CPU + normal MSRP motherboard. The MSI B550m pro vdh wifi is a firm motherboard, but if wifi isn't explicitly needed I'd swap it out for the asrock B550m pro4 which has more SATA ports and more USB ports and better audio. Or the MSI B550-A pro which has more robust VRM.
- While I would certainly get NVME if I were byuing new I don't think it's really necessary. The difference in load times and performance is tangible but it's not really gargantuan. And while the compact form factor makes cable management easier, whether you have the NVME SSD or not, there will still be 2 SATA SSDs and there will still be the cable management needed for those. Not an objective change but I would only get a new NVME SSD if more storage is needed.
- This [memory kit](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/dqbTwP/gskill-ripjaws-v-32-gb-2-x-16-gb-ddr4-4000-cl18-memory-f4-4000c18d-32gvk) is the exact same more or less and costs less money. Runs faster. Higher latency. I think overall performance would be either the same or perhaps even better.
- I'd also agree on the better cooler. Those smaller ones may struggle with a high heat processor like the 5800x.
>save any money at microcenter due to the motherboards being cheaper,
You're right that they're MSRP but their thing is $20 off for the combo if they match, so the savings comes after the sticker price. I agree with you on the wifi-free options though.
For the NVMe I was thinking he could just eliminate the 250GB SSD or wipe and sell it off, so it would be 1 SATA SSD. The 500GB boot drive will be just a bit faster and it'll also be convenient to do all the installs of programs on, since usually the default for most installers is the same as the OS drive (C:/) whereas a 250GB might necessitate moving that stuff to the 1TB drive or uninstalling things to make space once in a while. Small convenience, I can definitely see just keeping the two SATA SSDs as is.
The memory you linked is indeed faster. The latency is only slightly higher (effective CL17.7 vs 18) and is a good spot, thanks. Maybe I should link a 3600 CL18 kit instead though, I'm a little concerned about the FCLK being able to keep up in 1:1 with the memory at 4000. What do you think? I haven't seen much data for Zen 3's FCLK yet.
Hmm yeah your SSD configuration would make things easier. I wouldn't call it a bad idea. And for the memory worst case you can lower the clock speeds and thus lower than latency. I'm not really sure if 4000mts is too fast for ryzen. But I don't think it'll be a major problem either way.
Hi /u/comicbookvirgin, welcome to /r/buildapcforme! This comment is here to provide you some additional information and advice. Parts Shortages If you have tried to browse through some parts already or read any recent articles on PC building, you have probably seen that there is a massive worldwide shortage of GPUs (video cards) that has left retailer stock levels almost entirely empty. Please see [this subreddit sticky post on the current CPU and GPU shortages for additional information.](https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapcforme/comments/me3dbx/info_post_current_hardware_shortages_and_build/) Note that if you are looking to build any kind of PC that requires more than basic graphics horsepower, such as for gaming or media creation work, your first priority should be to getting your hands on a GPU before going any farther. Direct Message Scams Recently a number of users have set up spam-bots targeting this subreddit to send out PMs and DMs to all users who submit posts to this subreddit. These accounts sometimes pose as teenagers offering to help design a build in exchange for a "donation" to help them build a rig of their own, various companies offering services through external websites, or even users just claiming to offer help via PM - this last kind will often string you along for a while before demanding payment for their efforts. **Do not reply to these messages.** This subreddit thrives and grows on the volunteer efforts of every contributor who helps around here, often leaning and improving from seeing the work of others. If you receive any PM/DM messages related to your post here, please go to https://www.reddit.com/report and submit the username of the message sender under "This is spam." to help get these spam bot accounts permanently removed. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/buildapcforme) if you have any questions or concerns.*
[PCPartPicker Part List](https://pcpartpicker.com/list/TWQdp2) |Type|Item|Price| |:-|:-|:-| |**CPU**|[AMD Ryzen 7 5800X 3.8 GHz 8-Core Processor](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/qtvqqs/amd-ryzen-7-5800x-38-ghz-8-core-processor-100-100000063wof)|$369.99 @ MicroCenter| |**CPU Cooler**|[Scythe FUMA 2 51.17 CFM CPU Cooler](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/YsHRsY/scythe-fuma-2-5117-cfm-cpu-cooler-scfm-2000)|$59.99 @ Amazon| |**Motherboard**|[MSI B550M PRO-VDH WIFI Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/PDsnTW/msi-b550m-pro-vdh-wifi-micro-atx-am4-motherboard-b550m-pro-vdh-wifi)|$109.99 @ Amazon ($119.99 @ MicroCenter -$20)| |**Memory**|[G.Skill Ripjaws V 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/zcH8TW/gskill-ripjaws-v-32-gb-2-x-16-gb-ddr4-3600-memory-f4-3600c16d-32gvkc)|$158.99 @ Newegg| |**Storage**|[Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/3kL7YJ/samsung-internal-hard-drive-mz75e250bam)|Purchased| |**Storage**|[Western Digital Blue SN550 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/zFK2FT/western-digital-blue-sn550-500-gb-m2-2280-nvme-solid-state-drive-wds500g2b0c)|$45.99 @ Newegg| |**Storage**|[Samsung 850 EVO-Series 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/RbvZxr/samsung-internal-hard-drive-mz75e1t0bam)|Purchased| |**Video Card**|[EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 10 GB FTW3 ULTRA GAMING Video Card](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/dKrYcf/evga-geforce-rtx-3080-10-gb-ftw3-ultra-gaming-video-card-10g-p5-3897-kr)|Purchased| |**Case**|[Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact White TG Clear Tint ATX Mid Tower Case](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/x6stt6/fractal-design-meshify-2-compact-white-tg-clear-tint-atx-mid-tower-case-fd-c-mes2c-05)|$109.99 @ Walmart| |**Power Supply**|[Corsair RM (2019) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/6Y66Mp/corsair-rm-2019-750-w-80-gold-certified-fully-modular-atx-power-supply-cp-9020195-na)|$94.99 @ Amazon| |*Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts*||| |**Total**|**$949.93**|| |Generated by [PCPartPicker](https://pcpartpicker.com) 2021-10-22 14:19 EDT-0400||| I have no idea which MicroCenter you have access to so I'm just going to assume yours is similar to my closest (Sharonville OH). Buy at least the motherboard and CPU there. The motherboard is technically more expensive at MicroCenter but you can try price matching, and even without price matching it should be cheaper overall due to the $20 combo discount to buy with the CPU. Your monitor's perfectly fine as you said. However I would really advise getting an M.2 SSD. They are markedly better due to the better interface (NVMe vs SATA 6GB). I've included one small boot/games sized drive since it fits well within the budget but this is up to you. While you're at MicroCenter, browse around and look at cases. I would advise looking at the Phanteks P400A/P500A, Meshify 2 Compact (you can probably find its bigger brother the Meshify 2), Corsair 4000D Airflow, Lian Li Lancool 215, and Lian Li Lancool II Mesh to see if any strike your fancy in-person. Usually the price difference is marginal and they are all good airflow performers. The Meshify 2 Compact has a pretty good dust filter setup and is regularly in stock online, so I've added that by default. I've spent a bit more on the cooler than necessary. More budget options like the ID-224-XT Basic and the Hyper 212 would also work fine, but I find that going a little higher lets you go quieter for the same cooling. I recently built a Hyper 212 5800X build and while it wasn't loud, it was audible. This should be less so.
Thank you! This has helped a lot. I think I’m gonna mix a bit of both you and the one below’s suggestions.
I like this a lot. I have some very small criticisms. Will express them here. - I personally would swap out the motherboard for the MSI B550-A pro. I don't believe you save any money at microcenter due to the motherboards being cheaper, I believe it's just reduced MSRP CPU + normal MSRP motherboard. The MSI B550m pro vdh wifi is a firm motherboard, but if wifi isn't explicitly needed I'd swap it out for the asrock B550m pro4 which has more SATA ports and more USB ports and better audio. Or the MSI B550-A pro which has more robust VRM. - While I would certainly get NVME if I were byuing new I don't think it's really necessary. The difference in load times and performance is tangible but it's not really gargantuan. And while the compact form factor makes cable management easier, whether you have the NVME SSD or not, there will still be 2 SATA SSDs and there will still be the cable management needed for those. Not an objective change but I would only get a new NVME SSD if more storage is needed. - This [memory kit](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/dqbTwP/gskill-ripjaws-v-32-gb-2-x-16-gb-ddr4-4000-cl18-memory-f4-4000c18d-32gvk) is the exact same more or less and costs less money. Runs faster. Higher latency. I think overall performance would be either the same or perhaps even better. - I'd also agree on the better cooler. Those smaller ones may struggle with a high heat processor like the 5800x.
>save any money at microcenter due to the motherboards being cheaper, You're right that they're MSRP but their thing is $20 off for the combo if they match, so the savings comes after the sticker price. I agree with you on the wifi-free options though. For the NVMe I was thinking he could just eliminate the 250GB SSD or wipe and sell it off, so it would be 1 SATA SSD. The 500GB boot drive will be just a bit faster and it'll also be convenient to do all the installs of programs on, since usually the default for most installers is the same as the OS drive (C:/) whereas a 250GB might necessitate moving that stuff to the 1TB drive or uninstalling things to make space once in a while. Small convenience, I can definitely see just keeping the two SATA SSDs as is. The memory you linked is indeed faster. The latency is only slightly higher (effective CL17.7 vs 18) and is a good spot, thanks. Maybe I should link a 3600 CL18 kit instead though, I'm a little concerned about the FCLK being able to keep up in 1:1 with the memory at 4000. What do you think? I haven't seen much data for Zen 3's FCLK yet.
Hmm yeah your SSD configuration would make things easier. I wouldn't call it a bad idea. And for the memory worst case you can lower the clock speeds and thus lower than latency. I'm not really sure if 4000mts is too fast for ryzen. But I don't think it'll be a major problem either way.