How to build a PC yourself? Secrets and tips

Cougar Turret RGB is an updated version of the German brand's computer case. Unlike the original Cougar Turret black with a fixed glow colour (red), the novelty received Vortex RGB turntables with customizable lighting and a Core Box C controller to synchronize them with the motherboard.

The body frame is steel and heavy (7 kg), which absorbs vibration well. The top is covered with a magnetic ventilation mesh for easy removal and cleaning. The front and side panels are made of scratch-resistant tempered glass. The power supply and its numerous wires are neatly hidden behind a decorative casing.

A pair of 12 cm RGB propellers is mounted on the front panel (a third can fit if desired). There are also seats for turntables on the back and top. But it really asks for a liquid cooling system, fortunately even a massive one — 28x14 cm will fit. However, if you prefer classic air cooling, then everything is in order with this case — a processor cooler as high as 16 cm will fit.

The Cougar Turret RGB has only one drawback (rather a feature): the complete Core Box C hub, which supports up to 8 fans and 4 LED strips, is synchronized only to motherboards with an RGB_5V connector, while some motherboards are equipped with a 12V connector. In this case, you will have to switch the colour of the glow not programmatically through the proprietary application of the motherboard, but manually — with a button on the case. However, for many, this option is even more convenient.

The Cougar CMX850 is a semi-modular power supply with a quiet 14cm fan and a striking black and orange colour scheme (Cougar signature colours). You certainly don’t want to hide such a PSU behind the decorative casing of a computer case. Semi-modality means fixed power cables for CPU and motherboard and detachable all the rest.

The claimed power of the PSU is 850 W, of which 828 W goes through two separate 50-amp +12 V lines, which are used to power the most energy-intensive PC components — the processor and video cards. Thanks to four 6 + 2-pin clip-on power wires, these same video cards can be powered either by two top-end ones (up to 275 W each) or four mid-level ones (up to 150 W).

The internal circuitry of the Cougar CMX850 is the HEC platform, which is considered more advanced than the CWT or FPS found in other $100 PSUs. Capacitors — partly Japanese (can withstand temperatures up to 105 °C), partly Taiwanese. All mandatory levels of protection are implemented: from undervoltage (UVP) and overvoltage (OVP), short circuit (SCP), overload on one (OCP) or all lines (OPP).

The efficiency of the Cougar CMX850 is 88 percent, for which it has been awarded the 80 PLUS Bronze certification. Simply put, only 12 percent of the electricity is converted into waste heat, while the rest effectively power computer components. The input voltage, on the other hand, can vary from 100 to 240 V, that is, the PSU does not care about both voltage drawdowns of the household power supply (a common problem in rural areas) and a slight excess (this is already characteristic of urban high-rise buildings).

If the Ryzen 5 2600 is an update to the most popular model of recent years — the Ryzen 5 1600, then the 2600X is a twin brother that always does a little better. The model with the X index has the same 6 cores and SMT support, is installed on the AM4 socket, has an unlocked multiplier. Standard frequencies are from 3.6 GHz to 4.2 GHz, but on a good motherboard, you can easily get a stable 4.3 GHz on all cores.

One of the key features of the Zen+ update is the 12nm process, and the Ryzen 5 2600X takes advantage of this very effectively. Despite a noticeable increase in frequency, power consumption has not grown radically, and is on a level with the same number of Core i7-8700K threads in work tasks. The TDP of the overclocked chip from the factory is 95 watts, which is quite a lot. However, the stock Wraith Spire cooler will handle the cooling without any problems — unless you want to overclock the system, then our selection of coolers for AM4 will help. In addition, on high-quality cooling with a motherboard based on the X470 chipset, the processor can overclock up to 4.35 GHz on its own, even if only by one core.

Twelve threads, 512 KB L3 cache per core, and DDR4 support up to 2933 MHz make the Ryzen 5 2600X not only a fast processor for games, but also suitable for a workstation if you, say, want to edit videos with your own gameplay, and for streamers are great. In addition, future gaming innovations will be able to use multithreading more efficiently, which means that your purchase will last you much longer. Do not forget that this processor will easily fit on previous generation AM4 motherboards — A320, B350 and X370.

Biostar X470GT8 is a fully equipped ATX motherboard for AMD AM4 processors based on the older X470 chipset. Supports, as they say out of the box, Ryzen 1000 (Zen architecture) and 2000-series (Zen +) processors, and after updating the BIOS, it will also be compatible with the upcoming Ryzen 3000 (Zen 2). In addition, the X470 chipset provides XFR 2 with maximum automatic overclocking.

The processor power subsystem is made 8 + 4-phase, and the mosfets are covered with large metal radiators that perform both a cooling and decorative function. The phase and chipset heatsinks, as well as the rear panel shroud, are adorned with RGB lighting, which is configured using Vivid LED DJ's proprietary applications. Additionally, there are two 5050_12V connectors for connecting external RGB devices.

There are four DIMM slots with overclocking over 3200 MHz. There are two metal-reinforced graphics card slots: AMD CrossFire bundles are supported, but NVIDIA SLI is not. The disk subsystem is represented by six SATA3 connectors and one M.2 NVMe, immediately with a cooling cover. Overclockers will appreciate the built-in POST code indicator and power and reset buttons.

Video outputs for the case of using APU-processors with integrated graphics are purely digital: DVI, HDMI and Display Port. An S/PDIF digital audio output is also available. There are six USB 3.1 connectors on the rear panel, of which one is Type-C Gen2. In general, the Biostar X470GT8 is an impressive-looking motherboard with support for all modern technologies. But if you need a simpler and cheaper AM4 motherboard, take a closer look at Biostar B450GT3 Ver. 6.x and Biostar B450MH .

Apacer Blade Fire DDR4 is the older series of RAM from the Taiwanese brand. Just like the usual Apacer Blade DDR4 EK.16GAW.KFBK2 and Apacer Commando DDR4 EK.16GA3.GGAK2 , is dressed in thick-walled metal radiators in military style, but stands out against their background with a fiery red LED backlight. Blade Fire DDR4 is sold exclusively in ready-made sets of two or four modules with a total volume of 16 or 32 GB, respectively.

Buying memory as a factory kit completely eliminates the possible incompatibility of the modules with each other and guarantees a high overclocking potential. The frequency of the auto-overclocking XMP profile sewn into the memory varies from 2800 to 3200 MHz, but if desired, a couple of hundred more megahertz can be manually squeezed out (see the article “How to overclock RAM?”).

Like other Apacer military-series RAM models, Blade Fire DDR4 is built on Samsung chips. This allows the memory to work at low timings (that is, with low latency): 17-17-17-36 at 2800 MHz and 16-18-18-38 at 3200 MHz (timings are forced to increase with increasing frequency). In addition, Samsung chips traditionally overclock better on the AMD AM4 platform than chips from other manufacturers.

If you need as much as 64 GB of RAM for a professional work PC, just buy two sets of Apacer Blade Fire DDR4, preferably around the same time period, so that you definitely get chips from the same batch with similar overclocking potential. And the relatively high height of metal memory heatsinks should be taken into account when choosing a CPU cooler (you need a narrow air cooler or coolant cooler).

The WD Blue SSD 3D M.2 is one of the fastest M.2-SATA SSDs available. It is doubly pleasant that the manufacturer gives it away at a typical price for this class of devices, without requiring additional payment for speed. There is also a twin brother of this drive in the classic 2.5-inch form factor — WD Blue SSD 3D NAND WDS500G2B0A 500 GB .

Blue SSD 3D M.2 consists, as any SSD should, of three essential elements: a smart controller, RAM cache and flash memory chips. The controller is Marvell 88SS1074 with two ARM Dragonite v5 cores. It is also installed in many other popular SSDs, thanks to which it boasts well-established software firmware.

The amount of buffer memory in the 500-gig version of the Blue SSD 3D M.2 is 512 MB (chip manufacturer — Micron). Flash memory is used 64-layer 3D TLC BiCS3 manufactured by SanDisk. Recall that a few years ago, WD bought out SanDisk to supplement its portfolio of hard drives with solid state drives. And it is flash memory that is the most interesting element of the Blue SSD 3D M.2.

On the one hand, TLC memory traditionally slows down the sequential write speed on large files. The volume of the virtual SLC array is 4 GB for every 250 GB of disk space, that is, a 500 GB SSD has a cache of 8 GB. On the other hand, the speed drops from the starting 530 to only 400 MB / s, while other SSDs drop to 200 or even 100 MB / s. Simply put, the WD Blue SSD 3D M.2 uses the finest, hand-picked flash memory chips, more like a high-speed NVMe SSD like the recently announced WD Blue SN500 WDS500G1B0C 500 GB or flagship WD Black SN750 NVME SSD WDS500G3XHC 500 GB with radiator .

De jure, WD Red is a hard drive for creating RAID arrays (mirror or striped) and installing in NAS servers. The spindle speed is 5400 rpm, that is, against the background of other PC components, it is almost silent. 64 MB of buffer memory to speed up the processing of the smallest files. Sequential reads and writes are performed at 150 – 160 MB / s, which is quite fast by the standards of low-speed HDDs.

Implemented in Red a number of proprietary technologies WD. First, NASware 3.0 firmware provides 100% compatibility with popular NAS server models, 24/7 operation, and easy RAID scalability. Simply put, you can install additional drives even without having to reboot your PC or NAS server — the operating system will attach them to the shared disk space, as they say, "on the fly".

Secondly, 3D Active Balance Plus super-precisely balances the magnetic plates in two planes, thereby reducing vibration and increasing the reliability of the HDD. Finally, thirdly, IntelliPower automatically changes the data transfer rate and the smart caching algorithm depending on the load. Indeed, from our personal experience we can confirm that Red, regardless of the size, are among the quietest 3.5-inch HDDs on the market.

But de facto, the WD Red is a fairly versatile, quiet and reliable hard drive that's great for a home or work PC as an addition to a fast but low-capacity SSD. That is, whether the scope of its application is not limited to NAS servers alone. WD Red is not suitable except for the role of the main system drive — for this task it is better to choose Blue or Black at 7200 rpm (read and write speed 200 – 220 MB / s).

ASUS ROG Strix RX 580 O8G is a graphics card with one of the richest body kits. Everything that is only invented in terms of cooling and decoration, everything is available in this model. So, the cooler is represented by a huge heatsink and as many as three fans — the temperature and noise are nowhere lower, even in the case of manual overclocking. But before buying, we advise you to carefully measure the inside of your computer case to make sure it will fit a graphics card 30 cm long and two and a half expansion slots thick.

The cooler casing is decorated with LED backlighting, and not just one colour, but customizable RGB. What's more, the colour and intensity can be synchronized with the ASUS ROG series motherboard and the case LED strips connected to it. As a result, the entire computer will flicker in the same style.

A large amount of video memory (8 GB) allows ASUS ROG Strix RX 580 O8G to run games not only at 1080p resolution on ultras, but also in 2K and 4K, albeit only at medium graphics settings. This graphics card is intended primarily for fans of PC modding. Still, the rest can safely buy a cheaper version of the RX 580 with a simpler body kit.

A4Tech Bloody B760 is the most affordable gaming keyboard based on optical microswitches (switches in common), which are an evolutionary step in the development of mechanical ones. Their principle of operation involves fixing the operation when the key blocks the light beam, instead of shorting the electrical contacts, as was the case before. Thanks to this, the response delay was reduced a hundred times — from about 20 to 0.2 ms.

Orange LK Light Strike switches are used in Bloody B760 (switches are traditionally marked by colours: blue, red, brown and others). The key travel for orange optical switches is 3 mm instead of the typical 4 for blue and red mechanical ones. This allows the gamer to react to game moments even faster, which is especially important in dynamic multiplayer games like Dota 2 and CSGO. There are only three additional function buttons, while for all kinds of multimedia actions, such as adjusting the volume or switching songs in the player, the F1 — F12 keys are responsible while pressing Fn.

The Bloody B760 turned out to be not only fast, but also durable: the life time for wear of optical switches is twice that of mechanical ones — 100 million versus only 50 million clicks. According to statistics, the most frequently broken key — the space bar — is additionally reinforced with metal from the inside. And for maximum durability, the entire keyboard is covered on the outside with a solid aluminium plate, which also adds to its visual gloss.

The metal gleams especially effectively when the Neon Glare RGB LED lights flicker (colour and effects can be adjusted right on the keyboard without the need to install software). Anti-Ghosting technology allows the A4Tech Bloody B760 to read at least all key presses at the same time. Whereas many low-cost keyboards cease to perceive pressing after five simultaneously pressed buttons. If you're wondering why more is needed, you've apparently never played MOBAs or MMORPGs.

Following the keyboards, A4Tech has switched its gaming mice to newfangled optical microswitches. So, Bloody P93A is built on LK Light Strike switches, of course, their mouse subversion, but with exactly the same ultra-low latency as keyboards — only 0.2 ms.

Considering that mouse switches are smaller and more delicate, and a gamer in the heat of multiplayer battles, usually, presses them with great effort, the uptime is not 100 million, like keyboards, but only 20 million clicks. But this is, rather, the minimum guaranteed number, after which the mouse will continue to work without problems with a 99 percent probability. In addition, mechanical switches, such as the widespread Omron, provide exactly the same operating time — less, no less.

The main body material of the Bloody P93A is a soft-touch plastic, while the legs of the X'Glide are made of metal. And this is the most slippery and at the same time durable material (“mileage” of over 300 km), which also adds a pleasant weight to the mouse instead of separate weights. Sensor — optical PixArt PMW 3325 with a resolution of 1000 to 5000 DPI (sorry no less than 1000). With the popularization of 4K monitors, the high resolution of the mouse sensor is becoming more and more popular.

The main feature of A4Tech mice is the proprietary Bloody5 application with the ability to programme shooting bursts with "cheat" accuracy in shooter games. The function is paid, but in the case of mice with the letter “A” at the end of the model name, it is already activated. Pressing the "1" button turns on shooting single, "3" — cut-offs of three, and "N" — the number of bullets selected in the application. And of course, the Bloody P93A did not do without RGB lighting, which is configured again with the help of Bloody5.

The monitor is positioned as an affordable solution for gamers. The model has a strict, typical for Dell, design with a rather large frame around the screen and a stylish stand, which has a hole for wires.

Dell SE2417HG is equipped with two HDMI 1.4 ports at once. This will allow you to simultaneously connect the device to the computer and the console, for example, Sony PlayStation 4 Slim 500Gb Price from 15 999 up to 17 899 ₴. The monitor also received VGA and a line-out for speakers or headphones.

Screen position adjustments are limited to tilt. If desired, the stand can be removed to fix the monitor to the wall. However in this case, in addition to the VESA mount, you will need an additional adapter.

The Dell SE2417HG features a 23.6-inch FullHD display based on an 8-bit TN+Film matrix. Its main advantage is a minimum response time of 1 ms, which is designed to provide responsiveness in games and maximum smoothness of dynamic scenes when watching videos. Although in shooters and races, as some users note, the appearance of loops and blurring is not excluded, which is explained by the screen refresh rate of 60 Hz typical for the low-cost segment.

The display has a fairly high level of brightness (300 cd/m2), is characterized by a wide colour gamut and acceptable colour accuracy, offers flexible image settings.

The traditional disadvantages of a TN-matrix include low visibility (160° vertically and 170° horizontally), and at large angles the picture is significantly distorted. In addition, the model does not support Flicker-Free technology, which increases the likelihood of eye fatigue with a long stay in front of the screen.

All in all, the Dell SE2417HG is capable of being an affordable alternative to gaming monitors. But the model is focused on more versatile use: occasional gaming, watching movies, surfing the net and office work.