New PC Build (High End)

[Sabarok]

Budget (including currency): $3000 CAD. That's the original budget, written in pencil, a year ago. It's fine if it goes higher. I've picked out some expensive parts, so don't feel like you need to try and pick the cheapest option to fit that total.

Country: Canada

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: Single player games & Final Fantasy XIV. It will also be expected to dual-boot into Ubuntu for work related tasks (the only requirement being that the hardware is capable of running. None of my work would call for higher hardware requirements beyond what is needed for gaming).

Other details: I have a 1440p 100hz gsync monitor. I'm all set for other peripherals. This build is solely for the case.

 

I posted here back in June, and the advice was to wait for new releases coming soon. Great advice, I don't at all regret the wait. With today's announcement of the Zen 3, I think it's time to start more concrete planning.

 

I'm an experienced builder. The first PC I built was a 486. However, I'm too busy to keep on top of tech news and where the industry is. 7 years ago (early 2014), I asked Reddit for help in building my current PC (with a budget of around $2000). The goal was to have something that would last 4 years, and it's still performing beyond expectations (probably because my GPU died and I replaced it with a GTX 1070). Reddit did a hard sell in convincing me that multi-threaded wasn't the future, that I was wasting money buying a CPU with lots of cores (I disagreed, bought the I7-4770k, and it was the right choice), so I'm coming to LTT in the hopes that the crowd here has a better grasp on where the future in PC gaming might end up. I know it's overkill, but the goal is to buy one machine now, and not need to spend money on upgrades for the next 4+ years.

 

I've raised my budget since my last build, I have a lot of flexibility, and I want to build something great that will last many years. I'm still happy with my current PC, and it's going to have a great new home when I give it to someone I know as an upgrade to their ancient machine, but it's the right time for me to do this.

 

Timeline: Flexible. As pieces get nailed down, I can keep an eye out for sales until everything becomes available.

Online Store: I prefer to do all my purchases through newegg.ca, so products available through there would be ideal.

Bling: I know Linus loves his flashing lights, but they're not for me. My PC currently sits at eye level in my peripheral vision, so the fewer distractions the better.

Water cooling: No.

Streaming: No.

Content Creation: I occasionally create videos.

Overclocking: No.

 

Priorities: 

• Reliability is my first priority. I hate crashes. I'm willing to spend a bit more to get a brand that is going to be reliable and stable. For this reason, overclocking isn't something I do. I can't be bothered to spend hours tweaking settings and hoping things don't crash. However, if the hardware came with drivers that did this automatically and it's stable, that would be fine, but it's also fine if there's no overclocking.
• Performance is my second priority. I'm coming in with a big budget because I'm expecting to go to the higher end of the price-performance ratio
• Noise. I don't like loud noises. My audio tends to be turned down low. The quieter the PC runs, the happier I'll be. My PC currently sits arm-reach from me at head level. I had to recently unplug one of the case fans because it had recently started making a constant noise (pulling it out and cleaning it thoroughly didn't solve it, but my case has an excess of fans, so it's been fine being down one).

Case: Mid-tower. I've looked at a few choices, but I haven't settled on one. I'd like one with 4 front-panel USB and maybe a USB Type-C for futureproofing. I had written down a few I'd looked at, but I don't remember where I wrote them down. My current case has 4 front-panel USB and they get frequent use.

CPU: I'm pretty well decided on the Ryzen 9 5950X. I know it's a bit overkill now, but 7 years from now, I think it will still be kicking butt.

GPU: RTX 3080. My brother just got his hands on one today, It looks like a great card that will meet my needs for the years to come until it stops working in 4 years.

Drives: I'm thinking of getting a 2TB M.2 NVMe drive as my new primary. Any suggestions for specific brands or models? I have a few SSDs and large SATAs I'll keep from my current PC for additional storage.

RAM: I haven't decided the amount or speed. This is something I've tended not to bother upgrading, so I'd like to get more than I'll need and fill out all 4 slots, then never worry about it.

Motherboard: I'm thinking X570 chipset, but I haven't decided on a manufacturer or model. I'd like it to come with wifi and bluetooth built-in, provided the wi-fi is a decent enough quality. I'm currently using a cheap USB wifi adapter ($30 wavlink Dualband), so it shouldn't be hard to be better than that.

PSU: Undecided, but it has to be a brand with a solid reputation for reliability and clean power. I also don't know how many watts to get.

OS: Windows 10 Home or Pro? I don't know the difference.

 

Any ideas or advice would be welcome. This forum gave me great advice in June when it told me to wait, and it also gave me great advice in picking my new 1440p monitor.

TL;DR: As a summary for anyone skimming: I'm primarily looking for suggestions for case, motherboard, and PSU, but any other suggestions are welcome.

[voidrunner959]

I have been planning a new PC for a while now and was looking at the X570 tufs that came out with PCI 4.0, but there are good boards like MIS tomahawk if you wanna spend like $50 

https://www.newegg.com/asus-tuf-gaming-x570-plus/p/N82E16813119197?Item=N82E16813119197

 

https://www.newegg.com/msi-mag-x570-tomahawk-wifi/p/N82E16813144310?cm_sp=SearchSuccess-_-INFOCARD-_-570+msi-_-9SIAK7AC0D1537-_-1&Description=570+msi

 

Case in my option is a personal preference. How much room you have? Are you running a full ATX? Do you want portability? 

 

And PSU is pretty simple just look at you power requirements for the MOBO and GPU. I went with a modular power supply and 850W which is over kill but I also am feeding line LV signal audio equipment into this tower so I want a little extra room power lv wise incase in need to add any new controllers soundcards and so on. always been a fan of corsair

https://www.newegg.com/corsair-rmx-series-rm850x-cp-9020180-na-850w/p/N82E16817139234?Item=N82E16817139234

 

Hope this help! I'm looking to build my system end of October been waiting on the ROG contest just in case and gives me time to save  

[Sabarok]

On 10/8/2020 at 9:03 PM, voidrunner959 said:

I have been planning a new PC for a while now and was looking at the X570 tufs that came out with PCI 4.0, but there are good boards like MIS tomahawk if you wanna spend like $50 

https://www.newegg.com/asus-tuf-gaming-x570-plus/p/N82E16813119197?Item=N82E16813119197

 

https://www.newegg.com/msi-mag-x570-tomahawk-wifi/p/N82E16813144310?cm_sp=SearchSuccess-_-INFOCARD-_-570+msi-_-9SIAK7AC0D1537-_-1&Description=570+msi

 

Case in my option is a personal preference. How much room you have? Are you running a full ATX? Do you want portability? 

 

And PSU is pretty simple just look at you power requirements for the MOBO and GPU. I went with a modular power supply and 850W which is over kill but I also am feeding line LV signal audio equipment into this tower so I want a little extra room power lv wise incase in need to add any new controllers soundcards and so on. always been a fan of corsair

https://www.newegg.com/corsair-rmx-series-rm850x-cp-9020180-na-850w/p/N82E16817139234?Item=N82E16817139234

 

Hope this help! I'm looking to build my system end of October been waiting on the ROG contest just in case and gives me time to save  

I was reading through a few articles comparing motherboards, and I also landed on the ASUS TUF Gaming X570+ as a good all-round option. It has the features I'm looking for at what seems a reasonable price. I've been shocked at the price of motherboards now. There are so many in the $600-$1000 range. I just have no idea what the differences are at that price point and if there's anything worth the higher price tag. I hear ASUS TUF is built more for reliability, and that's what I like. I've used Gigabyte, MSI, and ASUS in the past, and I'm happy to stick to that family. Your suggestion of the MSI MAG X570 Tomahawk is an interesting one. I'm rather fond of MSI.

 

For the case, I've been happy with Mid-towers. A reasonable amount of space to have an easy time installing drives, and I think I've only ever used ATX boards. Portability isn't a factor. I have a laptop for when I need to be mobile (and a work issued tablet). I currently have my PC sitting on top of a dolly with wheels, so I can very easily pull it away from the wall and have full access to all sides.

 

PSU is one pieces where I know how important quality is, and I don't follow it enough to know which brands are reputable and what the good power supplies are right now.

 

I wish you good luck with the ROG contest. I think I entered it too, but with very few entries. Since my build centers around a CPU that doesn't launch until November and I still need to get my hands on a 3080, who knows when I'll start buying components  

[voidrunner959]

Just now, Sabarok said:

I was reading through a few articles comparing motherboards, and I also landed on the ASUS TUF Gaming X570+ as a good all-round option. It has the features I'm looking for at what seems a reasonable price. I've been shocked at the price of motherboards now. There are so many in the $600-$1000 range. I just have no idea what the differences are at that price point and if there's anything worth the higher price tag. I hear ASUS TUF is built more for reliability, and that's what I like. I've used Gigabyte, MSI, and ASUS in the past, and I'm happy to stick to that family. Your suggestion of the MSI MAG X570 Tomahawk is an interesting one. I'm rather fond of MSI.

 

For the case, I've been happy with Mid-towers. A reasonable amount of space to have an easy time installing drives, and I think I've only ever used ATX boards. Portability isn't a factor. I have a laptop for when I need to be mobile (and a work issued tablet). I currently have my PC sitting on top of a dolly with wheels, so I can very easily pull it away from the wall and have full access to all sides.

 

PSU is one pieces where I know how important quality is, and I don't follow it enough to know which brands are reputable and what the good power supplies are right now.

 

I wish you good luck with the ROG contest. I think I entered it too, but with very few entries. Since my build centers around a CPU that doesn't launch until November and I still need to get my hands on a 3080, who knows when I'll start buying components  

there is a PSU section on the forums that will show you what PSU is right for you board, and I Agree some mobos are just more money but when you get up into the 600+ normally your looking at server boards I believe. I went with a full tower because I don't think I will be moving it unless I move my self and I like the added air flow available in the case.

 

I feel you there with e announcements on the CPU in November I have been weighing my options on waiting or not. Even if I do wait till launch of a Ryzen 9 5000x  It dose not mean i will get one. I'm a little burned still with the 3080 launch. For now I will wait just to see and at least have time to save a tiny bit more money. The 3080 RTX I have given up on and I wont expect to see a new GPU in my computer till at the earliest maybe maybe December so 1060 6Gb for me. 

 

All my money just sitting there waiting for the next thing to comes out Ill never build a new PC. 

[Sabarok]

I'm getting closer to narrowing things down. My build is currently sitting around $3500, and I'm happy with the quality.

 

CPU: Ryzen 9 3950x (~$1000)

GPU: RTX 3080 ($1000)

Motherboard: MSI Tomahawk Wifi ($300)

Case: Fractal Design R6 ($210)

PSU: Corsair AX850 ($400)

RAM: Corsair Vengeance 8GB x4  ($200. overkill for now, but future proofing, and RAM is cheap)

M.2: Corsair 2TB PCI Gen 4 ($474)

 

I could probably shave off a bit from the cost by getting a cheaper PSU, half the RAM, and a gen 3 M.2 but, given the total cost, I think I've made good choices. I hadn't even realized until writing this post that I've picked Corsair for three of my components. Their components were highly rated on Newegg, so they're a reliable brand?

[Hazzer109]

5 minutes ago, Sabarok said:

I'm getting closer to narrowing things down. My build is currently sitting around $3500, and I'm happy with the quality.

 

CPU: Ryzen 9 3950x (~$1000)

GPU: RTX 3080 ($1000)

Motherboard: MSI Tomahawk Wifi ($300)

Case: Fractal Design R6 ($210)

PSU: Corsair AX850 ($400)

RAM: Corsair Vengeance 8GB x4  ($200. overkill for now, but future proofing, and RAM is cheap)

M.2: Corsair 2TB PCI Gen 4 ($474)

 

I could probably shave off a bit from the cost by getting a cheaper PSU, half the RAM, and a gen 3 M.2 but, given the total cost, I think I've made good choices. I hadn't even realized until writing this post that I've picked Corsair for three of my components. Their components were highly rated on Newegg, so they're a reliable brand?

No cooler? also send a pcpartpicker link with your parts that way people can edit it and further help you. I would spend like 250usd max on a 2tb ssd lol the adata sx8200 is a good option also corsair vengeance lpx is terrible ram that often fails to hit rated speeds with ryzen so i would recommend going with g skill ripjaws v or team t force ram. I would also recommend going with a revolution D.F. for the psu as that one is very overpriced also highly rated dosent = good product as companies can pay people to well review their product

[Sabarok]

7 hours ago, Hazzer109 said:

No cooler? also send a pcpartpicker link with your parts that way people can edit it and further help you. I would spend like 250usd max on a 2tb ssd lol the adata sx8200 is a good option also corsair vengeance lpx is terrible ram that often fails to hit rated speeds with ryzen so i would recommend going with g skill ripjaws v or team t force ram. I would also recommend going with a revolution D.F. for the psu as that one is very overpriced also highly rated dosent = good product as companies can pay people to well review their product

I knew I was forgetting about something. I do still need to pick a cooler. Here is the Partpicker list. I'm using the Ryzen 9 3950x as a stand-in for the 5950x. The CPU Cooler is one I've picked at random for the purpose of partpicker.

 

For the M.2, I want a gen 4 drive. The motherboard & CPU supports it. 

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 3.5 GHz 16-Core Processor  ($999.99 @ Newegg Canada) 
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($44.99 @ Newegg Canada) 
Motherboard: MSI MAG X570 TOMAHAWK WIFI ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($298.00 @ Newegg Canada) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory  ($97.99 @ PC-Canada) 
Memory: *Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory  ($97.99 @ PC-Canada) 
Storage: *Corsair MP600 Force Series Gen4 2 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  ($474.00 @ Newegg Canada) 
Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 3080 10 GB GAMING X TRIO Video Card 
Case: Fractal Design Define R6 USB-C ATX Mid Tower Case  ($209.99 @ Newegg Canada) 
Power Supply: Corsair AX 850 W 80+ Titanium Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit  ($139.75 @ shopRBC) 
Total: $2362.70
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-10-12 07:19 EDT-0400

[Hazzer109]

Why do u need a gen 4 ssd get a Revolution D.F. for the psu and get a nh d15 for the cooler

 

[Sabarok]

8 minutes ago, Hazzer109 said:

Why do u need a gen 4 ssd get a Revolution D.F. for the psu and get a nh d15 for the cooler

 

Why wouldn't I want a gen 4 SSD?

 

I like your recommendation on the Enermax Revolution DF. 80+ Gold is still a pretty good rating. One thing to consider is Newegg wants $66 in shipping, so that pushes it to a $310 option. Still cheaper than the Corsair, but it does change what products it gets compared against..

 

I like the Noctua NH D15 recommendation because it's also quiet.

[Hazzer109]

4 minutes ago, Sabarok said:

Why wouldn't I want a gen 4 SSD?

 

I like your recommendation on the Enermax Revolution DF. 80+ Gold is still a pretty good rating. One thing to consider is Newegg wants $66 in shipping, so that pushes it to a $310 option. Still cheaper than the Corsair, but it does change what products it gets compared against..

 

I like the Noctua NH D15 recommendation because it's also quiet.

Because ur not gonna take advantage of gen 4 playing final fantasy also a rating isnt the only thing to factor into a psu get a case with better airflow and the asus tuf 3080 model cools considerably better

 

[Sabarok]

19 minutes ago, Hazzer109 said:

Because ur not gonna take advantage of gen 4 playing final fantasy also a rating isnt the only thing to factor into a psu get a case with better airflow and the asus tuf 3080 model cools considerably better

 

I'm building a PC that might be expected to last 6 years, who knows what things will be like then. The boot drive is the last thing I want to replace because a use case just found a reason to have a faster drive. I listed FFXIV because it's the only "online" game I currently play, though there is a chance (maybe slim?) that Star Citizen will release during this build's lifespan.

 

I know that if I buy a gen 3 drive, every time I'm looking at a load screen or copying files, or doing anything while waiting for the PC, I'll be asking myself "How much faster would this be if I'd gotten that gen 4 drive?"

 

On the other hand, with a gen 4 drive, I'll never say "I wish this was a bit slower so that I had that extra $150 in my bank".

 

I'm going to stick with the gen 4.

 

When I built my current PC almost 7 years ago at the start of 2014, people said I was wasting money buying an i7. "Gaming performance is all about the single thread, save money with an i5". I never once regretted spending a bit more for the extra threads. It's why I'm buying the 5950 over the 5900. I can afford it, and it's going to have that long lasting difference.

 

Rating isn't the only factor, but it is a factor. If the power supply isn't efficient enough, I'll spend more on electricity than I would have spent getting something a bit better. Anything less than Gold wouldn't be worth buying. When comparing a Gold vs a Platinum/Titanium, I wouldn't spend more than $50 for the rating difference. Once a power supply meets the ratings requirements, than everything else factors in, like reliability and other features. I like the anti-dust feature your suggested power supply has.

 

The video card brand I picked is a placeholder. Because of supply issues, I'll be lucky to get a 3080 from any brand.

 

I'm also happy with my case choice. It's one thing I've looked into a lot. I know it has an airflow issue, but it still performs as an average case, which is good enough since I'm not overclocking. There just aren't many good options for a quiet case with nice front-panel features. I considered the Be Quiet 500DX for the better airflow, but it only has a single USB Gen A on the front panel, and it's not one available on newegg. The Fractal case also has options like removing the top panel or pulling off the door if I find a need to improve airflow. Based on the usage of my current PC, front-panel USB is something I've used often. It currently has all 4 slots filled (though two are things I will be able to retire since the new motherboard will have built-in bluetooth & wifi).

[Sabarok]

My latest PC Partpicker list:

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 3.5 GHz 16-Core Processor  ($999.99 @ Newegg Canada) 
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler  ($99.99 @ Mike's Computer Shop) 
Motherboard: MSI MAG X570 TOMAHAWK WIFI ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($298.00 @ Newegg Canada) 
Memory: G.Skill Flare X 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL14 Memory  ($274.99 @ Newegg Canada) 
Storage: *Corsair MP600 Force Series Gen4 2 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  ($474.00 @ Newegg Canada) 
Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 3080 10 GB GAMING X TRIO Video Card 
Case: Fractal Design Define R6 USB-C ATX Mid Tower Case  ($209.99 @ Newegg Canada) 
Power Supply: Enermax Revolution D.F. 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit  ($139.75 @ shopRBC) 
Total: $2496.71
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-10-13 07:24 EDT-0400

 

The CPU Cooler is big, so I checked the clearances. The RAM is 40mm and the CPU Cooler has a clearance that can handle up to 42mm. I'm also worried it might be overkill since I'm not overclocking, but there are few Be Quiet options on Newegg. The only cheaper one is the Pure Rock 2, and it's only a $20 difference. I might as well get the beefier one that I can be more assured will handle the 5950.

 

I was initially going to go with 4x8GB but, since the motherboard is dual channel, I don't think I'd get any performance advantages over 2x16. I've gone with low latency 3200 memory because AMD's website for the 5950x says 3200.

 

I thought about getting a 1TB M.2 drive, but my current C drive is 750GB and I've maxed it out a few times, so I don't think 1TB is going to be enough.

 

The Enermax has a fan that points up/down. Looking at screenshots of the case, it also has vents that go up/down. Should I mount the power supply so the fan is downwards and pulls in air from outside, or upwards to help pull air out of the case? My thought would be downward to keep the PSU isolated and cool. This is one component where I'm not fully decided on. Because of shipping, it comes in quite a bit higher than other similarly high quality PSUs. The Corsair RM850x is a tempting one because it's a quieter PSU for $100 less, but still of high quality (although I also have to pay duties, so the price difference will shrink a bit there).

 

MSI as the brand for the GPU is a placeholder. Is there much of a difference between them? I'm planning on pretty much buying the first one that becomes available. It looks like it might not be available in time for my build (though that will also depend on the supply of the 5950), but I can use my GTX 1070 in the interim.

 

I know this blows past my written budget, but I'm very happy with each selected component. The M.2, CPU Cooler, and Fractal case are currently on sale on Newegg. I might buy those later today.

 

Thank You to Voidrunner for putting me on the MSI Tomahawk. It's the perfect board for me. Thank You also to Hazzer for the Enermax PSU suggestion. I hadn't heard of that brand before, so it's one I would have normally overlooked.