# Sticky  TSF Recommended Builds 2020



## Rich-M

*Custom 2020 Recommended Components*​



Intel and Amd Builds​


*Read Here First*
​
Here at Tech Support Forum we have a large group of experienced and inexperienced users, most of whom believe the absolute best value in desktops comes from a custom build. Anyone who has built one must remember that feeling when they first turned on their very first build and were almost startled by the increased performance they noticed instantly. That performance most certainly had to do with individual hardware choices but it also had to do with something else I personally remember first noticing many years ago when I rebuilt a Dell desktop and then installed Windows and programs and noticed that there is a huge difference in performance when no other brand name proprietary software was installed. It makes a big difference to uninstall all the proprietary programs manufacturers install on their branded systems, but an even bigger difference if those programs were never there in the first place. We all know how the Windows Installer does an inefficient job uninstalling programs from Windows but until you see how the system runs with none of them ever having been there in the first place, then you will never really appreciate how well the system could run.
 

We have both AMD and Intel builds you can choose from. Everyone has an opinion so settle that first as we state no preference we like them both! Each platform (AMD) and (Intel) have some distinct advantages give or take with Gaming, Workloads, IPC, Core Counts. The best thing is that AMD has closed the gap close enough in a few respects and surpassed in a few others to be respectable once again and have once again made building a PC a great time for both AMD fans and Intel Fans. It's a no lose proposition no matter which platform you choose!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please remember the suggested builds do not come with operating systems so you must plan an extra $100-149 for Home / Pro / Retail versions of Windows 10 or plan to purchase physical media via USB / Disc, or download or install any other operating system you plan to install.

Prices suggested often change as does availability on hardware components almost on a daily basis so the price points of builds are actually suggested but not guaranteed, and we deliberately did not suggest any websites for purchasing as that is totally up to you. 

The listed components have been used in builds and are also somewhat interchangeable between most builds. Choice of a particular component is not an endorsement of one product or a disapproval of another, only evidence of the fact it was used successfully in building a system.

Building your own computer is exciting but not for everyone and we get that. It can involve some research and planning. We have a tutorial here and you can always post in the hardware forum for individual help. The fact that we have members in so many time zones to help you out is also a plus for you.

Please ask for assistance on any of the builds listed if you need any and suggest or ask for any possible substitutions you might like, we are always glad to personally advise you.
*.*






 *It is a big job to keep these builds up to date so please remember these builds are representative so feel free to substitute components and start a thread requesting advice on your choices if you like...

I also want to say that while I put these builds together I have had help along the way from at least one hardware pro on this forum steady and others through time in developing this whole selection.*

*$500 Intel Build:*

Our latest $500 Intel build is a budget-friendly machine that takes a powerful 8th generation i3 processor to help perform everyday tasks. Expect to slide through Microsoft Office documents while surfing the web or listen to some of your tunes while gaming.
*Processor:Intel Core i3-9100 Coffee Lake 4-Core 3.6 GHz (4.2 GHz Turbo) LGA 1151 (300 Series) 65W BX80684I39100 Desktop Processor Intel UHD Graphics 630 

Motherboard:ASRock H370 Pro4 LGA 1151 (300 Series) Intel H370 SATA 6Gb/s ATX Intel Motherboard 

Video Card:* *Visual effects are produced by the integrated Intel HD Graphics 630 chip.

Memory: G.SKILL Aegis 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 3000 (PC4 24000) Desktop Memory Model F4-3000C16D-16GISB  

Case: PhanteksEclipse P300 PH-EC300PTG_BK Black Steel Chassis, Tempered Glass Window ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 

Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 520 Bronze 520W ATX12V V2.3 / EPS 12V V2.91 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power SupplyHard Drive: WD Blue 1TB Desktop Hard Disk Drive - 7200 RPM SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5 Inch - WD10EZEX 

Subtotal: $430

Please bear in mind that the prices are “snapshots” of prices that were taken the day these builds were planned and are subject to change at any time but the overall budget price should be close!

$800 Intel Build:

Seen as a mid-range average user PC, the $800 Intel build in the spot light is a general multitasking machine that can even take on some occasional gaming. By utilizing the i5 processor and the Nvidia video card, little can slow you down.*
*Processor: Intel Core i5-9400F Coffee Lake 6-Core 2.9 GHz (4.1 GHz Turbo) LGA 1151 (300 Series) 65W BX80684I59400F Desktop Processor Without Graphics  

Motherboard: MSI PRO Z390-A PRO LGA 1151 (300 Series) Intel Z390 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.1 ATX Intel Motherboard 

Video Card: ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1060 DirectX 12 ZT-P10620A-10M 6GB 192-Bit GDDR5X PCI Express 3.0 HDCP Ready Video Card

Memory:CORSAIR Vengeance RGB Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin DDR4 DRAM DDR4 3200 (PC4 25600) Desktop Memory Model CMW16GX4M2C3200C16  

Case: Fractal Design Meshify C Black ATX High-Airflow Compact Light Tint Tempered Glass Mid Tower Computer CasePSU: EVGA 650 GQ 210-GQ-0650-V1 80+ GOLD 650W Modular EVGA ECO Mode Power Supply 

Hard Drive:**WD Blue WD10EZEX 1TB 7200RPM **or consider-SanDisk SSD PLUS SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) SDSSDA-480G-G26 
Subtotal: $835-850
$1000 Intel Build:

Just like last year, our 2019 $1000 Intel build is the universal machine that is a highly recommended machine that handles the demand of most users. At this price, parts provide a high level of performance and are well priced. Anticipate being able to play modern computer games, take on image and video rendering, startup your own livestream, or even multitask without breaking a sweat.*

*Processor: Intel Core i5-9600K Coffee Lake 6-Core 3.7 GHz (4.6 GHz Turbo) LGA 1151 (300 Series) 95W BX80684I59600K Desktop Processor Intel UHD Graphics 630

Motherboard:ASUS Prime Z390-A LGA 1151 (300 Series) Intel Z390 SATA 6Gb/s ATX Intel Motherboard  

Cpu Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO - CPU Cooler with 120mm PWM Fan

Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 1070 DirectX 12 GTX 1070 GAMING 8G 8GB 256-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support ATX Video Card

Memory: G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 3000 (PC4 24000) Desktop Memory Model F4-3000C16D-16GVRB 

Case: DIYPC Vanguard-RGB Black Dual USB3.0 Steel/ Tempered Glass ATX Mid Tower Gaming Computer Case w/Tempered Glass Panels (Front and Both Sides) and Pre-Installed 4 x RGB LED Fans (7 Different Color in 3 Mode Control)

Power Supply: SeaSonic M12II 620 Bronze 620W ATX12V V2.3 / EPS 12V V2.91 SLI Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Full Modular Active PFC Power Supply 

Solid State Drive: Crucial BX500 2.5" 480GB SATA III 3D NAND Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) CT480BX500SSD1 
Hard Drive: WD Blue 1TB Desktop Hard Disk Drive - 7200 RPM SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5 Inch - WD10EZEX 

Subtotal: $1,088

$1300 Intel Build:

As an upper tier build, the $1300 Intel build is able to outperform all prebuilt machines, while staying within a reasonable budget. The following build can handle the latest 2018 games on maximum graphical settings and can even handle heavy multitasking.*
*Processor: Intel Core i7-8700K Coffee Lake 6-Core 3.7 GHz (4.7 GHz Turbo) LGA 1151 (300 Series) 95W BX80684I78700K Desktop Processor Intel UHD Graphics 630

Motherboard: MSI Z370-A PRO LGA 1151 (300 Series) Intel Z370 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.1 ATX Intel Motherboard 

CPU Cooler: **Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO *

*Video Card: EVGA GeForce RTX 2070 Black GAMING, 08G-P4-1071-KR, 8GB GDDR6, Dual HDB Fans 

Memory: GeIL EVO POTENZA 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM 3000 (PC4 24000) Desktop Memory Model GPR416GB3000C16ADC 

Case: DIYPC Vanguard-RGB Black Dual USB3.0 Steel/ Tempered Glass ATX Mid Tower Gaming Computer Case w/Tempered Glass Panels (Front and Both Sides) and Pre-Installed 4 x RGB LED Fans (7 Different Color in 3 Mode Control) 

Power Supply: **SeaSonic S12II 620W *

*Solid State Drive: Crucial BX500 2.5" 480GB SATA III 3D NAND Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) CT480BX500SSD1 
Hard Drive: WD Blue 1TB Desktop Hard Disk Drive - 7200 RPM SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5 Inch - WD10EZEX

Subtotal: $1270

$1600 Intel Build:

Only the best and highest performing computer components make it into our 2019 $1600 Intel build. Outperforming any other consumer machine on the market, the i9-9900K running its base clock of 3.7 GHz can take on any application and the GTX 2080 graphics card creates a realistic image. With this build, you will never fear about hitting its limitation.*
*Processor:Intel Core i9-9900K Coffee Lake 8-Core, 16-Thread, 3.6 GHz (5.0 GHz Turbo) LGA 1151 (300 Series) 95W BX80684I99900K Desktop Processor Intel UHD Graphics 630* 
* 
Motherboard:GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS PRO WIFI LGA 1151 (300 Series) Intel Z390 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.1 ATX Intel Motherboard 

CPU Cooler: **Noctua NH-U14s **or* *Cooler Master MasterLiquid Lite ML240L RGB AIO CPU Liquid Cooler, Sleeved FEP Tubing, Dual 120mm RGB Air Balance MF, RGB Software compatible, Dual Dissipation Technology 

Video Card: EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 XC GAMING, 08G-P4-2182-KR, 8GB GDDR6, Dual HDB Fans & RGB LED

Memory:G.SKILL TridentZ RGB Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 3200 (PC4 25600) Desktop Memory Model F4-3200C16D-16GTZR 

Case: Fractal Design Meshify C White - TG FD-CA-MESH-C-WT-TGC White Steel / Tempered Glass ATX Mid Tower Meshify C White ATX High-Airflow Compact Clear Tempered Glass Mid Tower Computer Case

Power Supply:  EVGA 750 GQ 210-GQ-0750-V1 80+ GOLD 750W Semi Modular EVGA ECO Mode Power Supply 

Solid State Drive: Crucial BX500 2.5" 480GB SATA III 3D NAND Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) CT480BX500SSD1 Hard Drive: **WD Blue WD10EZEX 1TB 7200RPM *

*Subtotal: $1624*










All PC's are not the same. Posting your PC specs will help us to assist you quicker and more effectively.
Feel free to mix and match components from one build to another as the build components are representative of items we have used in builds this year and they represent hardware users building custom units have all used.
Recommended AMD Builds:








*Constructed around AMD’s Ryzen processors, our recommended AMD builds are high performance machines that keep budgets in mind. Due to AMD’s low cost, but high performing AM4 processors you receive an incredible machine that can take on a plethora of tasks. 

AMD - **$400** | **$600** | **$900** | **$1400** | 
New Ryzen 3000 cpus are out and are impressive now in July 2019 but they require a new model board X570 that is expensive and other than pcie 4.0 that will take time saturation to occur offers little new and we can't help but wonder why existing boards could not have been upgraded to use these. We will include these in next year's builds.

$400 AMD Build:

Without the need of a dedicated graphics card, our 2019 entry level AMD build is well suited for those who browse the internet daily or edit everyday Microsoft Office documents. *

*Processor:AMD RYZEN 3 3200G 4-Core 3.6 GHz (4.0 GHz Max Boost) Socket AM4 65W YD3200C5FHBOX Desktop Processor

Motherboard:MSI PRO B450M PRO-VDH MAX AM4 AMD B450 SATA 6Gb/s Micro ATX AMD Motherboard * 

*Video Card: Visual effects are produced by cpu video
Memory: Ballistix Sport LT 8GB (2 x 4GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 2400 (PC4 19200) Memory Model BLS2K4G4D240FSB

Case: *Fractal Design Focus G Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 

*Power Supply: EVGA 550 N1 100-N1-0550-L1 550W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply*

*Hard Drive:**WD Blue WD10EZEX 1TB 7200RPM**or ADATA Ultimate SU650 2.5" 240GB SATA III 3D NAND Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) ASU650SS-240GT-Subtotal: *

*Memory:**G.SKILL Aegis 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 3200 (PC4 25600) Memory Kit Model F4-3200C16D-16GIS  Sub- total$358

$600AMDBuild:

Comparable to its $800 counterpart from the Intel list above, this AMD build is a mid-range gaming machine that can handle some everyday multitasking and internet browsing.*
*Processor:AMD RYZEN 5 3400G 4-Core 3.7 GHz (4.2 GHz Max Boost) Socket AM4 65W YD3400C5FHBOX Desktop Processor * * 

Motherboard:*MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX AM4 AMD B450 SATA 6Gb/s ATX AMD Motherboard 

* Video Card: GIGABYTE Radeon RX 570 DirectX 12 GV-RX570GAMING-4GD 4GB 256-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 CrossFireX Support ATX Video Card 

Memory :*G*.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 3200 (PC4 25600) Desktop Memory Model F4-3200C16D-16GVRB*

*Case:Phanteks Eclipse P300 PH-EC300PTG_BK Black Steel Chassis, Tempered Glass Window ATX Mid Tower Computer Case *

*Power Supply: EVGA 650 GQ 210-GQ-0650-V1 80+ GOLD 650W Modular EVGA ECO Mode Power Supply 

Hard Drive:**WD Blue WD10EZEX 1TB 7200RPM **or: 
SAMSUNG 860 EVO Series 2.5" 500GB SATA III V-NAND 3-bit MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) MZ-76E500B/AM
Subtotal: $535*

*$900 AMD Build:

Whether you’re a top-tier gamer or heavy system multitasker, TSF 2018 $900 AMD Build can handle the challenges that are thrown at it. The latest 2018 games and software like Photoshop and AutoCAD will run flawlessly with this build.*
*Processor:AMD RYZEN 5 3600 6-Core 3.6 GHz (4.2 GHz Max Boost) Socket AM4 65W 100-100000031BOX Desktop Processor 

Motherboard: MSI PERFORMANCE GAMING X470 GAMING PLUS AM4 AMD X470 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.1 HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard 

Video Card: GIGABYTE Radeon RX Vega 56 DirectX 12 GV-RXVEGA56GAMING OC-8GD 8GB 2048-Bit HBM2 PCI Express 3.0 x16 CrossFireX Support ATX Video Card*

*Memory: G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAMDDR4 3000 (PC4 24000) Desktop Memory Model F4-3000C16D-16GVRB 

Case:DIYPC Vanguard-RGB Black Dual USB3.0 Steel/ Tempered Glass ATX Mid Tower Gaming Computer Case w/Tempered Glass Panels (Front and Both Sides) and Pre-Installed 4 x RGB LED Fans (7 Different Color in 3 Mode Control)

Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 650 G3, 220-G3-0650-Y1, 80+ GOLD, 650W Fully Modular, EVGA ECO Mode with New HDB Fan, Includes FREE Power On Self Tester, Compact 150mm Size, Power Supply 

Hard Drive: **WD Blue WD10EZEX 1TB 7200RPM **or SAMSUNG 860 EVO Series 2.5" 500GB SATA III V-NAND 3-bit MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) MZ-76E500B/AM

Subtotal: $917

$1500 AMD Build:

Eight cores that run at a base clock of 3.7GHz is what is powering this beast of a machine. Combined with the AMD RX 580, there is nothing stopping in the way of this machine and its full potential will be difficult to reach. Expect to play every game on the market for years to come as well as perform extreme multitasking.*
*Processor:AMD RYZEN 7 3700X 8-Core 3.6 GHz (4.4 GHz Max Boost) Socket AM4 65W 100-100000071BOX Desktop Processor  

Motherboard: MSI PERFORMANCE GAMING X470 GAMING PLUS AM4 AMD X470 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.1 HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard 

Video Card: GIGABYTE Radeon RX Vega 56 DirectX 12 GV-RXVEGA56GAMING OC-8GD 8GB 2048-Bit HBM2 PCI Express 3.0 x16 CrossFireX Support ATX Video Card*

*Memory: CORSAIR Vengeance RGB Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin DDR4 DRAM DDR4 3000 (PC4 24000) Desktop Memory Model CMW16GX4M2D3000C16*

*Case: NZXT H500i - Compact ATX Mid-Tower PC Gaming Case - RGB Lighting and Fan Control - CAM-Powered Smart Device - Tempered Glass Panel - Enhanced Cable Management System - Water-Cooling Ready - Black/Red

Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 750 G2 220-G2-0750-XR 80+ GOLD 750W Fully Modular EVGA ECO Mode Includes FREE Power On Self Tester Power Supply 

Solid State Drive: SAMSUNG 860 EVO Series 2.5" 500GB SATA III V-NAND 3-bit MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) MZ-76E500B/AM *

*Hard Drive:**WD Black 2TB Performance Desktop Hard Disk Drive - 7200 RPM SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5 Inch - WD2003FZEX*
Subtotal: $1425



After you have built your build, please post it in a special thread below and share your experiences with everyone as we all learn from that!
Post pics of your new Build


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## tristar

*Re: TSF Recommended Builds 2019*

Wowza !! First Like from me


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## Rich-M

*Re: TSF Recommended Builds 2019*

Yeah it's a work in progress this afternoon!


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## SpywareDr

*Re: TSF Recommended Builds 2019*

Congrats, looking great Rich!


Do a [Ctrl][F] for the two characters:

[/​and you should be able to spot a "[/B]" and "[/FONT]" that need to be edited out.


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## Deejay100six

*Re: TSF Recommended Builds 2019*

Looking good Rich. :thumb:

I wouldn't be much use as regards content but if you'd like any help with editing, just overall appearance, positioning of titles etc., I'd be glad to have a look.


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## Rich-M

*Re: TSF Recommended Builds 2019*

Sure Dave have at it.


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## Deejay100six

*Re: TSF Recommended Builds 2019*

Thanks Rich. Have to pop out in a little while but I'll have a look later.

Thats assuming the site doesn't go down again. :grin:


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## Corday

From PC Gamer: What 10K would buy.
*INTEL*
CPU: Intel Core i9 9900K
Motherboard: Asus ROG Maximus XI Formula
RAM: 64GB HyperX Predator RGB DDR4-3200
GPU: 2x GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (SLI)
Storage: 2TB WD Black SN750 SSD + 10TB WD Red HDD
Cooling: Apex Hardline (black and gold)
PSU: EVGA 1,200W SuperNova P2 80+ Platinum
OS: Windows 10 Pro
*AMD*
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Motherboard: Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Formula
RAM: 128GB HyperX Fury DDR4-3000
GPU: 2x GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (SLI)
Storage: 2TB WD Black SN750 SSD + 2TB WD Blue HDD
Cooling: Apex Hardline (black and gold)
PSU: EVGA 1,200W SuperNova P2 80+ Platinum
OS: Windows 10 Pro


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## SpywareDr

<Drool!> :thumb:


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