wastedwingman
Description
This system was originally built as a decent midrange system that served as my first-ever DIY build back in February 2020. At the time, I tried to build the best system I could afford all at once. You can view my original 'completed' build here: https://pcpartpicker.com/b/XPyXsY . Well...very shortly after I initially built that computer, the pandemic hit and I suddenly found myself still working full-time, but now with a lot of free time to browse and shop for new parts to add to my computer, some more frivolous than others. As of writing this in April 2021, I haven't made any more additions since installing the 1tb nvme drive back in November, but I'd be interested in potentially going in to upgrade core components such as cpu/gpu to make it something of an ultimate AM4 build if the market for those parts ever calms down. For now, I'm happy with the performance I get out of the system so I'm not in a hurry to pay inflated prices for such upgrades. That makes some things like the clc cooler overkill for now, but the prices I paid for new parts throughout the year after the initial build were worth the cost just to enjoy tinkering and getting more comfortable working on my computer.
Part Reviews
CPU
Lightning fast compared to my comparatively ancient laptop cpu that came before. Looking back now in 2021 to when I bought it in February 2020, I got it for a steal. There are obviously better chips out there, but the price to performance has been immense.
CPU Cooler
The cooler itself is great and I have no complaints. That said, the stock fans that came with it were very loud and didn't really fit my taste on aesthetics. I've since replaced those fans with some Noctua fans and am very happy with the noise and performance.
Motherboard
Great board for my first build back in 2020 that came with a zen 2 capable bios pre-installed to run my r5 3600 out of the box. Ever since, the system has been completely stable through several bios updates and I've experienced none of the fussiness I was told I might experience in pairing a Zen 2 cpu with a 400 series board and with amd in general. The bios interface is also very user friendly and I've had an easy time learning my way around it. That said, it still has all the limitations of the b450 chipset as compared to the newer 500 series boards, so that should certainly be taken into consideration in 2021.
Memory
This ram kit has performed exactly as advertised with zero fuss on my Strix b450 motherboard. I initially purchased one 16gb kit when I first built my system, but then bought a second kit about 6 months later. Even after adding that second kit, everything continues to run at 3200mhz cl16 with the basic XMP profile enabled. So add in the fact that this ram is absolutely beautiful and I couldn't have asked for anything more.
Storage
Originally purchased to upgrade from the HDD in an old laptop and was blown away by the performance increase. I then transferred it to my current system as a boot drive to save money during the initial parts buying spree. Have since purchased a nvme drive that replaced this one as the boot drive, but it still serves as a great game drive.
Storage
The fastest ssd I've used by a mile.
Storage
Cheap storage and lots of it.
Video Card
Small but mighty card for 1080p gaming. Caution: keep in a well-ventilated case because the modest cooler this KO model can struggle to keep up without fresh air.
Case
I highly recommend purchasing the p400a model instead of this one. I love the case, but it was really affecting thermals in my system to have the solid front panel of the p400. Luckily, Phanteks sells the mesh front panel from the p400a by itself, so I was able to get one for my case and drastically improve performance. Aside from the front panel, I'm really happy with the case.
Power Supply
Supplies power and was a fair price when purchased in Feb 2020. The 3 year warranty is nice too.
Operating System
Cheap OEM Windows 10 key. Activated once and good to go ever since.
Wireless Network Adapter
Gives me wifi and bluetooth because I bought a mobo without those features. Hasn't given me any fuss since installing.
Case Fan
Sleek, silent, and moves a lot of hot air out of the back of my case.
Case Fan
These fans look great, operate very quietly, and move a ton of air through my 280mm radiator. The warranty is nice too.
Case Fan
Great fans for the price. Budget Noctua is still Noctua at the end of the day.
Monitor
Decent monitor that I purchased refurbished for a nearly 40% discount, so it's quite nice for what I paid. That said, it leaves plenty to be desired if you're looking for high-end image quality.
Keyboard
This is the first mechanical keyboard I've ever owned and I am extremely pleased. High quality without the premium price tag.
Mouse
This is the 2nd Razer DeathAdder I've owned and the first one lasted me 7 years. Love the feel in my hand and the snappiness of the input.
Custom
Very nice metal frame with nice rgb color effects. That said, I wish the LEDs were better diffused because there are very obvious hotspots when looking at the rings from a side angle.
Custom
Really love these cables. They are extremely high quality for the asking price and they really make my build pop. Only shortcoming for me was how few cable combs they came with. I fixed that by buying a separate pack of cable combs that I paired with them.
Custom
I wanted a heatsink for my shiny new ssd and found this bad boy. Does the job and looks cool doing it.
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