Game design build

[DFMat]

Budget (including currency): 5000$ CAD

Country: Canada, montreal

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: 3DS Max: animation and modeling, Unreal engine 5: Level design, visual programming, game design, animation. Substance designer, substance painter, Marmoset toolbag. I don't really game no more but i'd like to get back to it once school is over

Other details (existing parts lists, whether any peripherals are needed, what you're upgrading from, when you're going to buy, what resolution and refresh rate you want to play at, etc): I'm upgrading from asus rog g750 laptop

This is what i'm planning for right now https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/dCjqRv
There's a few things i'm not too sure about and this is my first build.
Thermal paste: What thermal paste should i get, i know noctua has a good reputation so i was thinking of going with that but i have heard of graphene pads, is it better to have a graphene pad instead of a thermal paste ?

Fans: i chose the 5000D airflow because i've always liked how corsair tower looks and the guy from gamer nexus reviewed it favorably, i know it can fit a 360mm cooler but should i get extra fans ?

Video card: I know EVGA used to be a good company, from looking around it seems it's still the case but just to be sure; is it the case ? My other question is should i go for an rtx 3090 or should i go for an rtx 3080ti ? is there something better than EVGA i should consider ?

OS: Is windows 10 pro the best choice or should i go for something else, i know windows 11 is out but the reviews i've heard and read are not too amazing.

Surge protection: do i need to get something specific ? I've heard of apc, are those worth it ?

Screens: i don't care that much for 4k even though it would be nice. i'm mostly looking for decent size and response time over resolution. I would like to get 2 screens maybe 3.

If there's anything else you think i should consider please let me know. Thank you !

[Zando_]

1 minute ago, DFMat said:

What thermal paste should i get, i know noctua has a good reputation so i was thinking of going with that but i have heard of graphene pads, is it better to have a graphene pad instead of a thermal paste ?

Any. Arctic MX-4, Noctua NT-H1 or H2, Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut, those are all ones I'd recommend. Graphene pads work fine AFAIK, but unless you're constantly replacing the CPU cooler, I see no reason to not just use paste. 

10 minutes ago, DFMat said:

i chose the 5000D airflow because i've always liked how corsair tower looks and the guy from gamer nexus reviewed it favorably, i know it can fit a 360mm cooler but should i get extra fans ?

Yep. I'd recommend the same airflow setup I use: 360mm radiator in the top with fans as intake (to gaurantee fresh air for the radiator), 2x140mm fans front for intake, 1x140mm rear for exhaust. For that case you'd want 3x120 in the front, 2x120 in the rear if you just wanna run all 120mm fans for simplicity. I recommend Noctua fans but they are expensive, though the Redux series is about half the price of the main series, and their NF-P12 1700 PWMs are whisper quiet. Simple grey, they aren't as hard to color code as the normal flesh/brown ones. I've seen Arctic's P12 fans (same name lol) reviewed well also, and I think those are a chunk cheaper than even the Reduxes too. 

14 minutes ago, DFMat said:

I know EVGA used to be a good company, from looking around it seems it's still the case but just to be sure; is it the case ? My other question is should i go for an rtx 3090 or should i go for an rtx 3080ti ? is there something better than EVGA i should consider ?

EVGA is still solid for GPUs. I believe they had some failures with a specific batch of 3090s due to bad board components, but they fixed that quickly + their warranty service is consistently excellent if you do have issues. Unless the 3080 Ti is markedly cheaper, I'd stick with the 3090 for the VRAM (24GB vs the 12GB the 3080 Ti has) given you're using programs that can probably slurp up all the VRAM you can throw at them. 

17 minutes ago, DFMat said:

Is windows 10 pro the best choice or should i go for something else, i know windows 11 is out but the reviews i've heard and read are not too amazing.

Windows 11 is basically reskinned/more unified W10, and has some teething issues. Stick with W10 pro for stability until it hits EOL or W11 is as stable. 

18 minutes ago, DFMat said:

 i don't care that much for 4k even though it would be nice. i'm mostly looking for decent size and response time over resolution. I would like to get 2 screens maybe 3.

I don't have many suggestions on monitors, I'm spoiled by using Macs for long enough that I'm used to the high pixel density + real estate when running low scaling, so I went with a 4K 27" panel. Unless you're a pixel hog, a 27" 1440p panel is probably what you want (my dad uses one and it seems nice and crisp), and you can usually get 144hz ones for the same price as 60hz 4K panels. 

[RONOTHAN##]

1 minute ago, DFMat said:

Thermal paste: What thermal paste should i get, i know noctua has a good reputation so i was thinking of going with that but i have heard of graphene pads, is it better to have a graphene pad instead of a thermal paste ?

The stuff that comes with the cooler is more than good enough. The difference between most pastes that aren't just absolutely terrible is 1-2C at most. Save the $10

 

4 minutes ago, DFMat said:

Video card: I know EVGA used to be a good company, from looking around it seems it's still the case but just to be sure; is it the case ? My other question is should i go for an rtx 3090 or should i go for an rtx 3080ti ? is there something better than EVGA i should consider ?

One thing you need to consider is the price of the card. You can save $50 by going with an MSI card, it'll be the same performance. EVGA has a better customer service department, so if you want to spend the extra $50 to deal with them, sure, but don't think it would perform better.

 

As for 3090 vs. 3080 Ti, for animation and modeling, the extra VRAM on the 3090 will likely be useful. If you can afford it, it's probably a good idea to get it instead of the 80Ti.

 

9 minutes ago, DFMat said:

OS: Is windows 10 pro the best choice or should i go for something else, i know windows 11 is out but the reviews i've heard and read are not too amazing.

Win 10 is fine, I'd either go for Pro or for LTSC. Since this will be a workstation, stability is much more important, and Windows 10 is a lot more tried and tested and while not perfect, a bit more stable than Windows 11. Plus Windows 11 only offers a new UI, better HDR support, and a new scheduler for Alder Lake. If you can't use any of those there really isn't a reason to get it.

 

Win 10 LTSC would probably be the way to go since it basically Windows 10 without the Microsoft services baked in and without updates that can break stuff, though finding a key for it is a bit more hit or miss. Still get one from a reseller though, you can get them for $20-30. 

 

15 minutes ago, DFMat said:

Surge protection: do i need to get something specific ? I've heard of apc, are those worth it ?

Get a UPS. APC is a pretty decent brand, but do a bit of research on it (I got one years ago, don't remember any of the research I did on it).

 

OK, on to the actual parts list. You can save quite a bit while getting the same or better performance.

1. Go for a cheaper AIO, or just stick to a dual tower air cooler. The NZXT Kraken X73 is $70 less but will perform identically. Or you could go NH-D15 or Deepcool AK620, both of which will perform plenty good but be much more reliable. For a workstation, I'd go for the reliability of air cooling, especially since the performance will still be good enough for a 5900X or 5950X.
2. For this system, you don't need X570. The only advantages of X570 is the amount of ports the motherboard can easily add, better laid out VFIO groups, and support for more Gen 4 devices. You are using none of those features for this system, might as well save money and not have to deal with a chipset fan. The TUF B550-Pro is half the price and will perform identically in this system.
3. I'd go for 64GB of RAM. Unless you know for a fact that in your 3D modeling stuff you never use more than 32GB, it's cheap insurance that you won't run out. 
4. Go for a single 2TB drive instead of 2 1TB drives. It's $50 cheaper and less points of failure, also it's just more convenient. 
5. The 5000D is a good case, but unless you're using dual rads it likely makes more sense to save money and desk space and just go 4000D, it'll look almost identical, it still have really good airflow, but is a bit cheaper and a little smaller. 
6. I'd probably go for a 1000W PSU, for for future upgrades. It's not necessary but nice to have, and only $20 more.
7. Doing all that, you can bump up to a 5950X while still saving $50. 

https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/kgsjH2

[DFMat]

46 minutes ago, Zando_ said:

Yep. I'd recommend the same airflow setup I use: 360mm radiator in the top with fans as intake (to gaurantee fresh air for the radiator), 2x140mm fans front for intake, 1x140mm rear for exhaust. For that case you'd want 3x120 in the front, 2x120 in the rear if you just wanna run all 120mm fans for simplicity. I recommend Noctua fans but they are expensive, though the Redux series is about half the price of the main series, and their NF-P12 1700 PWMs are whisper quiet. Simple grey, they aren't as hard to color code as the normal flesh/brown ones. I've seen Arctic's P12 fans (same name lol) reviewed well also, and I think those are a chunk cheaper than even the Reduxes too. 

Fans: wouldn't 3x120mm Front, 2x120mm back over the 140mm setup give better cooling ?
Just making sure, i would put the 360mm pulling air into the case ?

Thanks for all the info !

 

35 minutes ago, RONOTHAN## said:

One thing you need to consider is the price of the card. You can save $50 by going with an MSI card, it'll be the same performance. EVGA has a better customer service department, so if you want to spend the extra $50 to deal with them, sure, but don't think it would perform better.

 

Win 10 LTSC would probably be the way to go since it basically Windows 10 without the Microsoft services baked in and without updates that can break stuff, though finding a key for it is a bit more hit or miss. Still get one from a reseller though, you can get them for $20-30. 

 

Get a UPS. APC is a pretty decent brand, but do a bit of research on it (I got one years ago, don't remember any of the research I did on it).

 

OK, on to the actual parts list. You can save quite a bit while getting the same or better performance.

1. Go for a cheaper AIO, or just stick to a dual tower air cooler. The NZXT Kraken X73 is $70 less but will perform identically. Or you could go NH-D15 or Deepcool AK620, both of which will perform plenty good but be much more reliable. For a workstation, I'd go for the reliability of air cooling, especially since the performance will still be good enough for a 5900X or 5950X.
2. For this system, you don't need X570. The only advantages of X570 is the amount of ports the motherboard can easily add, better laid out VFIO groups, and support for more Gen 4 devices. You are using none of those features for this system, might as well save money and not have to deal with a chipset fan. The TUF B550-Pro is half the price and will perform identically in this system.
3. I'd go for 64GB of RAM. Unless you know for a fact that in your 3D modeling stuff you never use more than 32GB, it's cheap insurance that you won't run out. 
4. Go for a single 2TB drive instead of 2 1TB drives. It's $50 cheaper and less points of failure, also it's just more convenient. 
5. The 5000D is a good case, but unless you're using dual rads it likely makes more sense to save money and desk space and just go 4000D, it'll look almost identical, it still have really good airflow, but is a bit cheaper and a little smaller. 
6. I'd probably go for a 1000W PSU, for for future upgrades. It's not necessary but nice to have, and only $20 more.
7. Doing all that, you can bump up to a 5950X while still saving $50. 

https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/kgsjH2

gpu:I really really hate dealing with bad customer service lol. 

os: Any suggestion for resellers ? i know G2A has some but i'm not sure it's safe.

sorry for the stupid question but what is gen 4 i assume it's gddr4 but considering i have some gddr4 this must not be it

Ram:  Why 2x 32 over 4x 16 ? upgradability ? 

Storage: thanks for the heads up !

Psu: Will upgrade! are those titanium stuff worth it ?

Cpu:  is the difference that big between the two chips ?

Thanks for all the info !

 

[RONOTHAN##]

27 minutes ago, DFMat said:

sorry for the stupid question but what is gen 4 i assume it's gddr4 but considering i have some gddr4 this must not be it

Gen 4 PCIe. Basically if you need a ton of high speed SSDs and other PCIe devices, though if you only have 1-2, B550 still have 1 slot that's at Gen 4 x16 (full bandwidth for the 3090) and 1 M.2 slot at Gen 4 x4 (faster than you need for your CPU). 

 

27 minutes ago, DFMat said:

Ram:  Why 2x 32 over 4x 16 ? upgradability ? 

Yes, and compatibility. In order to get 4x16GB, you'll either need to buy a 4x16GB kit which is more expensive, or you get 2 2x16GB kits where you run the risk of getting two different memory chips while still usually being a little more expensive than 4x16GB. Plus, if you run 4x16GB kits, you run the risk of running quad rank memory which puts a huge strain on the memory controller for no performance benefit. 

 

27 minutes ago, DFMat said:

Psu: Will upgrade! are those titanium stuff worth it ?

I've done the math before, it takes something like 7-8 years to break even with realistically heavy loads. As long as you're getting a quality 80+ Gold unit, that's all that really matters, I wouldn't spend the extra on getting something that's more efficient unless you're planning on running a GPU mining farm. 

 

27 minutes ago, DFMat said:

Cpu:  is the difference that big between the two chips ?

It's 4 more cores. 3D modeling and code compilation can use those cores, so it would effectively be 30% faster in the workloads that use it. 

[Zando_]

12 minutes ago, DFMat said:

Fans: wouldn't 3x120mm Front, 2x120mm back over the 140mm setup give better cooling ?

Almost exactly what I meant, I think I worded it confusingly. Though that case only supports 1x120mm rear from what I can see. 

13 minutes ago, DFMat said:

Just making sure, i would put the 360mm pulling air into the case ?

Yep. Gaurantees fresh air for your radiator, vs the possibility of sucking warm air from the GPU through it if you set them as exhaust. Realistically it's probably like a 2 degree difference, but better is better and there isn't a downside so long as the case has a top dust filter (looks like it does).