Looking for help with my first build

[CMEnnis]

Budget (including currency): $2750 (for tower alone)

Country: US

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: programming in Visual Studio, browsing via Firefox, game development with Unity or GameMaker, and single-player gaming (Minecraft, God of War, Spider-Man Remastered, Jedi Fallen Order/Survivor, Half-Life Alyx)

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 currently have no parts for this computer beyond my mouse, but I am hoping to get a 1440p monitor and I will probably not invest too much in a keyboard because I game using a controller most of the time.

I am intending to transfer the data from my old laptop to an SSD including the Windows 10 install I have, and to install a Linux OS like Ubuntu on a second SSD.

 

My current build is here; https://pcpartpicker.com/list/3YRTTn

 

I am mainly wondering about the manufacturers for some of the components like the SSDs and RAM and if there are better options, even if they might cost me a little more.

I am also wondering if my CPU and graphics card are mismatched and will lead to any bottle-necking, I tried using pc-builds.com/bottleneck-calculator but it doesn't have the Ryzen 7000 line as an option.

I am considering switching to liquid cooling, but I doubt I am going to overclock this system anytime soon so I don't think I really need it, correct?

Should I consider adding a sound card? Or is that something to think about after getting the rest together and hearing how it sounds for myself?

 

Any advice or suggestions for changes would be appreciated.

(P.S. I am not opposed to anything with RGB lighting, and wouldn't mind adding a little of it as long as it doesn't push me out of my price range just to make things prettier)

[Bombastinator]

53 minutes ago, CMEnnis said:

Budget (including currency): $2750 (for tower alone)

Country: US

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: programming in Visual Studio, browsing via Firefox, game development with Unity or GameMaker, and single-player gaming (Minecraft, God of War, Spider-Man Remastered, Jedi Fallen Order/Survivor, Half-Life Alyx)

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 currently have no parts for this computer beyond my mouse, but I am hoping to get a 1440p monitor and I will probably not invest too much in a keyboard because I game using a controller most of the time.

I am intending to transfer the data from my old laptop to an SSD including the Windows 10 install I have, and to install a Linux OS like Ubuntu on a second SSD.

 

My current build is here; https://pcpartpicker.com/list/3YRTTn

 

I am mainly wondering about the manufacturers for some of the components like the SSDs and RAM and if there are better options, even if they might cost me a little more.

I am also wondering if my CPU and graphics card are mismatched and will lead to any bottle-necking, I tried using pc-builds.com/bottleneck-calculator but it doesn't have the Ryzen 7000 line as an option.

I am considering switching to liquid cooling, but I doubt I am going to overclock this system anytime soon so I don't think I really need it, correct?

Should I consider adding a sound card? Or is that something to think about after getting the rest together and hearing how it sounds for myself?

 

Any advice or suggestions for changes would be appreciated.

(P.S. I am not opposed to anything with RGB lighting, and wouldn't mind adding a little of it as long as it doesn't push me out of my price range just to make things prettier)

Are you in reasonable driving distance of a microcenter?  They often have very good deals on CPUs and motherboards.  Really good deals can go out of stock fast so it’s often good to call ahead to even see if they have what you are looking for.  I personally like used for 3xxx series video cards myself, though it can be a hassle. Pcpartpicker doesn’t get used around here like it used to.  They used to be reliable for good pricing, but it’s become more iffy.  I think they’re getting gamed but I have no info.

Edited December 23, 2022 by Bombastinator

[CMEnnis]

13 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

Are you in reasonable driving distance of a microcenter?  They often have very good deals on CPUs and motherboards.

I am about an hour and a half drive away from the only microcenter in my state, so I could get my parts (or at least some of them) there, but from shopping around on the website, I don't know that there are any great discounts on any of the parts unless I get open-box ones, and even then the discounts aren't big enough to convince me to drive all the way up there for them.

 

I probably should try to get as few pieces shipped as possible though since there has been a string of porch-pirate incidents in my neighborhood, so thank you for the suggestion.
 

[Noah Egener]

4 hours ago, CMEnnis said:

Budget (including currency): $2750 (for tower alone)

Country: US

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: programming in Visual Studio, browsing via Firefox, game development with Unity or GameMaker, and single-player gaming (Minecraft, God of War, Spider-Man Remastered, Jedi Fallen Order/Survivor, Half-Life Alyx)

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 currently have no parts for this computer beyond my mouse, but I am hoping to get a 1440p monitor and I will probably not invest too much in a keyboard because I game using a controller most of the time.

I am intending to transfer the data from my old laptop to an SSD including the Windows 10 install I have, and to install a Linux OS like Ubuntu on a second SSD.

 

My current build is here; https://pcpartpicker.com/list/3YRTTn

 

I am mainly wondering about the manufacturers for some of the components like the SSDs and RAM and if there are better options, even if they might cost me a little more.

I am also wondering if my CPU and graphics card are mismatched and will lead to any bottle-necking, I tried using pc-builds.com/bottleneck-calculator but it doesn't have the Ryzen 7000 line as an option.

I am considering switching to liquid cooling, but I doubt I am going to overclock this system anytime soon so I don't think I really need it, correct?

Should I consider adding a sound card? Or is that something to think about after getting the rest together and hearing how it sounds for myself?

 

Any advice or suggestions for changes would be appreciated.

(P.S. I am not opposed to anything with RGB lighting, and wouldn't mind adding a little of it as long as it doesn't push me out of my price range just to make things prettier)

Based on your stated budget and the workloads you described, the build you have proposed looks like a solid choice. Here are a few points to consider:

• The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X is a high-end processor that should be more than capable of handling the tasks you have described, including programming in Visual Studio, game development with Unity or GameMaker, and single-player gaming. It should also work well with the XFX Speedster MERC 319 Radeon RX 6950 XT graphics card you have chosen.

• The Noctua NH-U12A CPU cooler you have chosen is a high-quality air cooler that should be sufficient for keeping your processor cool, even under heavy workloads. You should not need to consider liquid cooling unless you plan on overclocking the processor, which you mentioned you are not planning on doing.

• The ASRock B650 PG LIGHTNING motherboard you have chosen is a good quality motherboard that should be able to support the Ryzen 9 7900X and other components in your build.

• The Corsair Vengeance RAM you have chosen should also be a good choice for your build, as it is a high-quality brand and has a speed of DDR5-4800, which should be sufficient for your needs.

• The Samsung 970 Evo Plus and 980 Pro SSDs you have chosen are both high-quality brands that should provide fast and reliable storage for your system.

• The Fractal Design Torrent ATX Mid Tower case and Corsair RM1000e power supply you have chosen are both good quality components that should work well with the other parts in your build.

• As for the sound card, it is generally not necessary to add one unless you are specifically looking to improve the audio quality of your system. If you are happy with the audio quality provided by your motherboard's built-in audio, then a sound card may not be necessary. However, if you want to upgrade the audio quality, then a sound card could be a good option to consider.

Overall, the build you have proposed looks like it should be well-suited for the tasks you have described and should provide good performance. If you have any additional questions or would like further advice, don't hesitate to ask.

[Bombastinator]

2 hours ago, CMEnnis said:

I am about an hour and a half drive away from the only microcenter in my state, so I could get my parts (or at least some of them) there, but from shopping around on the website, I don't know that there are any great discounts on any of the parts unless I get open-box ones, and even then the discounts aren't big enough to convince me to drive all the way up there for them.

 

I probably should try to get as few pieces shipped as possible though since there has been a string of porch-pirate incidents in my neighborhood, so thank you for the suggestion.
 

Hmmmm….  It’s both gas and time.  Might save a hundred bucks but it also might be less.  Plus there’s vehicle wear.  Got to make $30/hr for it to break even.

 

I saved about $140, but I wound up buying everything there but fans, cooler and graphics card.  One way around porch pirates is a PO Box. Amazon can also deliver to those free P.O. Boxes at the grocery store.

 

oh, and imho the noctua may be kinda pricey for what it is.  Depends on case room though.  I bought a peerless assassin 120 which isn’t very good for a big air cooler, and it’s harder to install, but it’s also as cheap as a 212evo for big air level cooling.  It worked so well on my 12700 I pulled the fans off and put them back in the box.  They weren’t doing anything anyway and it wasted a fan port.  I think of it as a hoopty dh15. Hoopty money though

Edited December 23, 2022 by Bombastinator

[CMEnnis]

6 hours ago, Noah Egener said:

Overall, the build you have proposed looks like it should be well-suited for the tasks you have described and should provide good performance. If you have any additional questions or would like further advice, don't hesitate to ask.

Thank you for all the feedback on my components, I did have a question about another component that I forgot to include in the build I linked: A Wireless Network Adapter.

My home Wi-Fi network is currently only Wi-Fi 5 and I doubt I am going to upgrade for at least a few years, but I have seen some people on other forums indicating that getting a Wi-Fi 6 card can still provide benefits on Wi-Fi 5, so I'm not opposed to upgrading now if it will actually help.

It should probably also be noted that I have 2.4 and 5 GHz Wi-Fi, but prefer to use the 5 GHz most of the time, and I need the card to support Bluetooth, which I don't think my current selection does (PCPartPicker does not appear to list this information as cards that I have verified do have Bluetooth are never said to in their descriptions).

I don't know how important this is but I am currently using a Netgear Modem and TP-Link Router with 450 Mbps/1300 Mbps, although I currently only have 300 Mbps internet through my service provider.

 

The card I was currently leaning towards is the MSI AC905C since it has all the features I was looking for at a reasonable price, but I am curious if there is an adapter or manufacturer of adapters that you would recommend instead?

 

[CMEnnis]

9 hours ago, Bombastinator said:

Hmmmm….  It’s both gas and time.  Might save a hundred bucks but it also might be less.  Plus there’s vehicle wear.  Got to make $30/hr for it to break even.

 

I saved about $140, but I wound up buying everything there but fans, cooler and graphics card.  One way around porch pirates is a PO Box. Amazon can also deliver to those free P.O. Boxes at the grocery store.

 

oh, and imho the noctua may be kinda pricey for what it is.  Depends on case room though.  I bought a peerless assassin 120 which isn’t very good for a big air cooler, and it’s harder to install, but it’s also as cheap as a 212evo for big air level cooling.  It worked so well on my 12700 I pulled the fans off and put them back in the box.  They weren’t doing anything anyway and it wasted a fan port.  I think of it as a hoopty dh15. Hoopty money though

I chose the Noctua mainly because it was highly rated and supposed to be fairly quiet, but I will try looking at the other options you mentioned and give it some more thought before I make a purchase.

 

I am still weighing my options about where to get my parts from, but I do have Monday off from my job, so I can afford to make the drive down to MicroCenter and back if my final piece selection is cheaper there then I initially thought.

[Bombastinator]

4 minutes ago, CMEnnis said:

I chose the Noctua mainly because it was highly rated and supposed to be fairly quiet, but I will try looking at the other options you mentioned and give it some more thought before I make a purchase.

 

I am still weighing my options about where to get my parts from, but I do have Monday off from my job, so I can afford to make the drive down to MicroCenter and back if my final piece selection is cheaper there then I initially thought.

They are quiet.  Also easy to install.  You may only need one of those fans. Max of $30 lost on that one which isn’t too big.  The problem with noctua is they were the kings for a long time before lga1700 so sometimes their ratings are skewed.  The way it is looking currently is to look for ratings on the specific cpu you are going to use.  They may do better on that ryzen3 than they do on lga1700.  If the thing spins at under 900 rpm under heavy load there’s a decent chance you can remove one fan and have a net noise reduction for most stuff.  There’s a fairly narrow window where dual fan is a net noise reduction. 

Edited December 23, 2022 by Bombastinator