Help me, a newb YouTuber/PC Builder, with choosing my next build parts! 3900XT vs 3950X

[Pixie La Luna]

Hi Everyone!

 

I'm working on my next build and I am trying to work out the best combination of parts. This is going to be a gaming, video editing and streaming PC... so a bit of everything. I have a good budget to work with.
The main parts I'm struggling to decide on are the CPU and Motherboard.

3900XT or 3950X
B550 or X570
Gen 3 or Gen 4 NVME SSD
2080 Super EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER FTW3, 2.75 Slot Extreme Cool Triple 

16GB x 2 CORSAIR Dominator Platinum RGB 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4 3200 Case TBC PSU TBC Case fans TBC

The PC will be air cooled for now, with the possibility of water cooling in future.

I have a Youtube video where you can see me discussing this further (if you're interested) 
https://youtu.be/D8lxSZp1fWg

Budget (including currency): $2500 USD

Country: USA

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: Gaming (WoW, Call of Duty, League of Legends, Anno 2205, Borderlands),  Video editing with Premiere Pro and maybe some streaming.

Other details: 3440 x 1440 Samsung monitor, possible streaming equipment in future

 

I am still pretty new to PC building, but love it so far, so I really appreciate help. Thanks!

[zeusthemoose]

Could you possibly wait a few months before building your computer? New cpus and gpus will be released shortly and leaks show performance increases of anywhere between 20-50%.

[Haro]

10 hours ago, Pixie La Luna said:

3900XT or 3950X

if they're the same price or similar, the 3950x. if they're not either a 3900x or a 3700x, that'll be more than enough.

 

10 hours ago, Pixie La Luna said:

Gen 3 or Gen 4 NVME SSD

gen 3 unless you will saturate/ need the extra bandwidth. 

 

10 hours ago, Pixie La Luna said:

B550 or X570

i would argue b550 is as good as x570, obviously the chipset lacks pcie 4 but that does not matter really.

but what b550 and what x570 board?

another option would be waiting for zen 3 and ampere and big navi. which is something i advise if your budget is this high.

[marmour]

Would definitely suggest waiting for the new GPU launches in a couple of months.

If you must buy now, get a 3900X with a 2080S or Ti if gaming is your main focus.

3900XT is a waste of money, and the 3950X is probably overkill, but if video editing is your priority, then it may be worthwhile.

With this budget I would get a $200ish B550 or X570 board. Most the B550s at this price will be good, but be careful with some of the X570 -make sure to read reviews on each board. 

Consider the X570 Tomahawk (if available) or the X570 Tuf gaming (cheaper) if you need the extra pcie4.0 connectivity if X570. If not something like the B550 tomahawk will do nicely

[Jurrunio]

What are you using atm?

 

New Ryzen and both AMD and Nvidia GPUs are expected to come sometime near the end of this year, so you could spend as little as adding memory to the current system.

 

22 minutes ago, Pixie La Luna said:

3900XT or 3950X
B550 or X570
Gen 3 or Gen 4 NVME SSD

current XT CPUs are just lower core count models with silicon potential of the 3950x. If you're not an avid overclocker, the 3900x is the one to consider.

 

B550 gives less expansion through chipset, but being newer means better memory overclocking (if you get the expensive ones, that is). Every board varies with features so just looking at chipset doesnt mean very much

 

NVMe SSDs dont benefit gamers, but Gen 3 or 4 for a content creator depends on size of resources they use. If it's just 1080p content then Gen 3 will be enough (and much better prices too), but if 4K videos are the main deal then Gen 4 SSDs have their appeal. Also another trick to get Gen 4 speeds for cheaper is to get multiple Gen 3 SSDs and put them in RAID 0. No matter what there should be a backup solution, you dont want to keep something curcial on drives facing frequent read writes

 

32 minutes ago, Pixie La Luna said:

2080 Super EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER FTW3, 2.75 Slot Extreme Cool Triple 

New CPUs dont improve user experience by that much, but new GPUs do. I would really consider waiting for this one

[Pixie La Luna]

20 minutes ago, TofuHaroto said:

if they're the same price or similar, the 3950x. if they're not either a 3900x or a 3700x, that'll be more than enough.

 

gen 3 unless you will saturate/ need the extra bandwidth. 

 

i would argue b550 is as good as x570, obviously the chipset lacks pcie 4 but that does not matter really.

but what b550 and what x570 board?

another option would be waiting for zen 3 and ampere and big navi. which is something i advise if your budget is this high.

Thanks! I'll have a look into the 3900X maybe the price difference between the 3950X and the 3900XT is substantial, so it would be good to see what the 3900X is, and how it compares to both options.

If I was to go with a B550, probably a Tomahawk would probably be my choice. They seem to have the best reputation. At the moment a few of my motherboard choices are out of stock from memory, so it really will come down to what is available, and has good reviews.

And yeah I understand that there is all new stuff coming out soon. At the moment I need a second gaming PC in the house, and also one that handles video editing better than my current one. Sticking with AMD always gives me room to switch out parts and upgrade different computers in the house as I go though too  Thanks!

[Pixie La Luna]

24 minutes ago, marmour said:

Would definitely suggest waiting for the new GPU launches in a couple of months.

If you must buy now, get a 3900X with a 2080S or Ti if gaming is your main focus.

3900XT is a waste of money, and the 3950X is probably overkill, but if video editing is your priority, then it may be worthwhile.

With this budget I would get a $200ish B550 or X570 board. Most the B550s at this price will be good, but be careful with some of the X570 -make sure to read reviews on each board. 

Consider the X570 Tomahawk (if available) or the X570 Tuf gaming (cheaper) if you need the extra pcie4.0 connectivity if X570. If not something like the B550 tomahawk will do nicely

Video editing is definitely A priority. I'm currently running a  3600x, with 1660 Super and it isn't quite cutting it. 

So I need to upgrade this PC at some point too... so when the new GPUs come out I might switch them out and move my Super to another PC in the house.
I need this new PC pretty ASAP, so I am happy to go with what is available now, and then mix and match parts later when more becomes available.

Definitely looking at Tomahawks, they get the best reviews. And I have seen some of the dismal X570s that you refer to, I don't always trust reviews... but sometimes you have to! haha.

Thanks!

[Pixie La Luna]

44 minutes ago, zeusthemoose said:

Could you possibly wait a few months before building your computer? New cpus and gpus will be released shortly and leaks show performance increases of anywhere between 20-50%.

20-50% Thats more than I expected! Bugger.
I need this PC now, but I will happily upgrade my other one when they come out! ...and then upgrade the new one...then upgrade...It's such an endless cycle of possibilities! haha
Thanks.

[Pixie La Luna]

14 minutes ago, Jurrunio said:

What are you using atm?

 

New Ryzen and both AMD and Nvidia GPUs are expected to come sometime near the end of this year, so you could spend as little as adding memory to the current system.

 

current XT CPUs are just lower core count models with silicon potential of the 3950x. If you're not an avid overclocker, the 3900x is the one to consider.

 

B550 gives less expansion through chipset, but being newer means better memory overclocking (if you get the expensive ones, that is). Every board varies with features so just looking at chipset doesnt mean very much

 

NVMe SSDs dont benefit gamers, but Gen 3 or 4 for a content creator depends on size of resources they use. If it's just 1080p content then Gen 3 will be enough (and much better prices too), but if 4K videos are the main deal then Gen 4 SSDs have their appeal. Also another trick to get Gen 4 speeds for cheaper is to get multiple Gen 3 SSDs and put them in RAID 0. No matter what there should be a backup solution, you dont want to keep something curcial on drives facing frequent read writes

 

New CPUs dont improve user experience by that much, but new GPUs do. I would really consider waiting for this one

Currently 3600X and 1660 Super GPU.

 

"Gen 3 SSDs and put them in RAID 0" Good tip, definitely worth checking out to see what the savings would be. 
I have quite a few hard drives lying around that I can install in this PC, so yes NVME won't be my main storage

I probably won't be overclocking. I'm still so new to all this I don't think I am there yet, there is a lot to wrap my head around. Plus I just haven't found a need for it that I'm aware of. So far in gaming I am happy at 1080p, but then I haven't really been pushing it that much on the gpu heavy games. 

For my video editing I definitely want to start doing more in 4K though, so I guess that is definitely something I should take into account.

 

Thanks!
 

[Jurrunio]

1 hour ago, Pixie La Luna said:

Currently 3600X and 1660 Super GPU.

then the GPU could stay, good enough for 1080p and editing apps dont need a lot of GPU power. It also has the same NVENC implementation as even the 2080Ti.

 

and also, flashy memory kits are bad value. They are just cheap sticks of the same specs with different heatsinks

[Pixie La Luna]

17 hours ago, Jurrunio said:

then the GPU could stay, good enough for 1080p and editing apps dont need a lot of GPU power. It also has the same NVENC implementation as even the 2080Ti.

 

and also, flashy memory kits are bad value. They are just cheap sticks of the same specs with different heatsinks

You are right when it comes to the flashy RGB stuff, it costs so much more, and I know the quality doesn't always match. 
Good to know about the GPU, it is pretty good, and I have found when I looked that it was definitely the CPU and memory that was choking during editing. 

Thanks again!
 

[SFFDesigns]

21 hours ago, Pixie La Luna said:

$2500 USD

If you have a budget that high, you can get some serious hardware. I'd personally recommend waiting, especially for the GPU, but if you need It now, here is a list.

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 3.8 GHz 12-Core Processor	$405.00 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler	MSI MAG CORE LIQUID 360R 78.73 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler	$169.99 @ B&H
Motherboard	MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4 Motherboard	$179.99 @ Newegg
Memory	G.Skill Aegis 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3000 CL16 Memory	$99.99 @ Newegg
Storage	Western Digital Blue SN550 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive	$119.99 @ Newegg
Video Card	Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB AORUS XTREME Video Card	$1299.99 @ Best Buy
Case	Lian Li PC-O11 Dynamic ATX Full Tower Case	$126.99 @ Adorama
Power Supply	be quiet! Straight Power 11 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply	$169.90 @ B&H
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	$2571.84
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-07-28 12:19 EDT-0400

 

I'd recommend using your 1660 Super until RTX 3000 and Big Navi are released, and if it continues to suit, then keep using it.

 

[Pixie La Luna]

3 hours ago, Hymenopus_Coronatus said:

If you have a budget that high, you can get some serious hardware. I'd personally recommend waiting, especially for the GPU, but if you need It now, here is a list.

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 3.8 GHz 12-Core Processor	$405.00 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler	MSI MAG CORE LIQUID 360R 78.73 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler	$169.99 @ B&H
Motherboard	MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4 Motherboard	$179.99 @ Newegg
Memory	G.Skill Aegis 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3000 CL16 Memory	$99.99 @ Newegg
Storage	Western Digital Blue SN550 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive	$119.99 @ Newegg
Video Card	Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB AORUS XTREME Video Card	$1299.99 @ Best Buy
Case	Lian Li PC-O11 Dynamic ATX Full Tower Case	$126.99 @ Adorama
Power Supply	be quiet! Straight Power 11 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply	$169.90 @ B&H
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	$2571.84
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-07-28 12:19 EDT-0400

 

I'd recommend using your 1660 Super until RTX 3000 and Big Navi are released, and if it continues to suit, then keep using it.

 

Sorry, can't remember if I replied to this.
I am definitely shifting towards the 3900X, since I don't need to overclock, it might be my best option.
That is an awesome list. I already have the Lian Li 011 Dynamic PCMR edition for another PC, which would also be one I would consider upgrading when/if the new CPUs and GPUs come out. In my house there are multiple PCs needed for different things, so there is always room to shift parts around when I want to upgrade another.
It's awesome that you squeezed a 2080ti in on the budget, I guess by saving on the 3900X I could afford that.
Thanks for the great list and reply!

Image: My Lian Li 011 Dynamic PCMR RGB explosion 

[SFFDesigns]

26 minutes ago, Pixie La Luna said:

Sorry, can't remember if I replied to this.
I am definitely shifting towards the 3900X, since I don't need to overclock, it might be my best option.
That is an awesome list. I already have the Lian Li 011 Dynamic PCMR edition for another PC, which would also be one I would consider upgrading when/if the new CPUs and GPUs come out. In my house there are multiple PCs needed for different things, so there is always room to shift parts around when I want to upgrade another.
It's awesome that you squeezed a 2080ti in on the budget, I guess by saving on the 3900X I could afford that.
Thanks for the great list and reply!

Image: My Lian Li 011 Dynamic PCMR RGB explosion 

Thank you!

 

That PC looks great haha!

 

[Pixie La Luna]

In case anyone is interested (or sees this).
Here is the final product! I went with the higher end build, cause of course I did lol.
Thanks to those who helped

 

AMD Ryzen 9 3950x 16 core 32 thread
Gigabyte X570 AORUS Ultra AM4 AMD X570 ATX AMD Motherboard
EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER XC Ultra gaming, RGB LED, Metal Backplate
Sabrent 1TB Rocket NVMe 4.0 Gen4 PCIe M.2
Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB 32GB (2x16GB) 3200
Lian Li Galahad AIO 360 RGB
Phanteks Eclipse P500A Full metal mesh White D-RGB
Be Quiet Power 11, Fully modular, 750W, Gold
Asiahorse Customization mod sleeve extension power supply kit
PWM Fan splitter
Pci-E X16 Riser Cable, Slim Design