pc buid Upgrading for Windows 11

[Duothus]

Ten years ago I posted in this forum and received the best advice on building a workstation PC. This system has been working great and I have been able to edit videos and even work on 3D modelling, rendering and light simulations, all on a professional level. It has also been great with games. But now, I need to upgrade for nothing else than Windows 11 incompatibility (you know when Microsoft said all I needed to do was just get new PC, it's that easy).

 

My current config is:

CPU: Xeon E5 - 2660V4 (14C / 28T)

Motherboard: MSI x99 Gaming 7

RAM: 32 GB DDR4-2666

GPU: Zotac NVIDIA GTX 1080ti (the grand-daddy who still kicks butt)

 

I really want to build small and have a compact PC since it's easy to move around with. The components I can shift to the new system are:

PSU: 850W modular

Cooler: Arctic Freezer 34 eSPorts

NVME: 1 TB

SSD: 1 TB SATA

Case: Fractal Design Meshify C (which I plan on changing to a smaller one)

 

So I have been deliberating over Intel or AMD and since I want to build small, I was looking at something like the Ryzen 9 7900 which has a 65W TDP. I think 12 cores should be enough for video editing and any 3D work I need to do. I am open to intel but have been reading that they have heat issues and they draw a lot of power on the higher workloads. I also want to build an AM5 platform for a stronger upgrade path down the road.

 

For the smaller build I want to use a micro ATX board with the Asus AP201 case (I have read some positive reviews about it). I need help with a good motherboard. I was thinking maybe the MSI PRO B650M-A WiFi?

For the GPU I was thinking either the RTX 3060 12GB or the 4060Ti 16GB (I need the extra VRAM for work in Unreal Engine and for some gaming, nothing fancy, I won't be pushing it to 4K ultra).

For RAM, there is a Crucial 64GB (2x32) kit rated at 5600Mhz and I think CL46. It wasn't too expensive and the extra RAM will be good for simulations and 3D work.

 

My budget is not a lot. After doing the calculations and since it's not a full build, the price comes to around 1600 CAD give or take, which is in the ball-park.

I thought I'd get some input and see if this is a good build and if it will serve the purpose or if there is anything else I can consider.

 

Thank you for any help in advance.

 

cheers.

[PDifolco]

7 minutes ago, Duothus said:

Ten years ago I posted in this forum and received the best advice on building a workstation PC. This system has been working great and I have been able to edit videos and even work on 3D modelling, rendering and light simulations, all on a professional level. It has also been great with games. But now, I need to upgrade for nothing else than Windows 11 incompatibility (you know when Microsoft said all I needed to do was just get new PC, it's that easy).

 

My current config is:

CPU: Xeon E5 - 2660V4 (14C / 28T)

Motherboard: MSI x99 Gaming 7

RAM: 32 GB DDR4-2666

GPU: Zotac NVIDIA GTX 1080ti (the grand-daddy who still kicks butt)

 

I really want to build small and have a compact PC since it's easy to move around with. The components I can shift to the new system are:

PSU: 850W modular

Cooler: Arctic Freezer 34 eSPorts

NVME: 1 TB

SSD: 1 TB SATA

Case: Fractal Design Meshify C (which I plan on changing to a smaller one)

 

So I have been deliberating over Intel or AMD and since I want to build small, I was looking at something like the Ryzen 9 7900 which has a 65W TDP. I think 12 cores should be enough for video editing and any 3D work I need to do. I am open to intel but have been reading that they have heat issues and they draw a lot of power on the higher workloads. I also want to build an AM5 platform for a stronger upgrade path down the road.

 

For the smaller build I want to use a micro ATX board with the Asus AP201 case (I have read some positive reviews about it). I need help with a good motherboard. I was thinking maybe the MSI PRO B650M-A WiFi?

For the GPU I was thinking either the RTX 3060 12GB or the 4060Ti 16GB (I need the extra VRAM for work in Unreal Engine and for some gaming, nothing fancy, I won't be pushing it to 4K ultra).

For RAM, there is a Crucial 64GB (2x32) kit rated at 5600Mhz and I think CL46. It wasn't too expensive and the extra RAM will be good for simulations and 3D work.

 

My budget is not a lot. After doing the calculations and since it's not a full build, the price comes to around 1600 CAD give or take, which is in the ball-park.

I thought I'd get some input and see if this is a good build and if it will serve the purpose or if there is anything else I can consider.

 

Thank you for any help in advance.

 

cheers.

Overall rather thoughtful choices except the RAM, CL46 is atrocious...

You should really target 6000CL30 or at worst 5600CL36

In order to lower cost maybe you could do with 2x24GB ?

[BillBill]

8 minutes ago, Duothus said:

Ten years ago I posted in this forum and received the best advice on building a workstation PC. This system has been working great and I have been able to edit videos and even work on 3D modelling, rendering and light simulations, all on a professional level. It has also been great with games. But now, I need to upgrade for nothing else than Windows 11 incompatibility (you know when Microsoft said all I needed to do was just get new PC, it's that easy).

 

My current config is:

CPU: Xeon E5 - 2660V4 (14C / 28T)

Motherboard: MSI x99 Gaming 7

RAM: 32 GB DDR4-2666

GPU: Zotac NVIDIA GTX 1080ti (the grand-daddy who still kicks butt)

 

I really want to build small and have a compact PC since it's easy to move around with. The components I can shift to the new system are:

PSU: 850W modular

Cooler: Arctic Freezer 34 eSPorts

NVME: 1 TB

SSD: 1 TB SATA

Case: Fractal Design Meshify C (which I plan on changing to a smaller one)

 

So I have been deliberating over Intel or AMD and since I want to build small, I was looking at something like the Ryzen 9 7900 which has a 65W TDP. I think 12 cores should be enough for video editing and any 3D work I need to do. I am open to intel but have been reading that they have heat issues and they draw a lot of power on the higher workloads. I also want to build an AM5 platform for a stronger upgrade path down the road.

 

For the smaller build I want to use a micro ATX board with the Asus AP201 case (I have read some positive reviews about it). I need help with a good motherboard. I was thinking maybe the MSI PRO B650M-A WiFi?

For the GPU I was thinking either the RTX 3060 12GB or the 4060Ti 16GB (I need the extra VRAM for work in Unreal Engine and for some gaming, nothing fancy, I won't be pushing it to 4K ultra).

For RAM, there is a Crucial 64GB (2x32) kit rated at 5600Mhz and I think CL46. It wasn't too expensive and the extra RAM will be good for simulations and 3D work.

 

My budget is not a lot. After doing the calculations and since it's not a full build, the price comes to around 1600 CAD give or take, which is in the ball-park.

I thought I'd get some input and see if this is a good build and if it will serve the purpose or if there is anything else I can consider.

 

Thank you for any help in advance.

 

cheers.

MSI x99 Gaming 7 that motherboard has a TPM module connector. You can buy a TPM module. 

[Duothus]

5 minutes ago, PDifolco said:

Overall rather thoughtful choices except the RAM, CL46 is atrocious...

You should really target 6000CL30 or at worst 5600CL36

In order to lower cost maybe you could do with 2x24GB ?

Honestly, I saw the price and was like, "Yep, I'll have it, hehe." But you're right, I should try for a lower latency. At this point I am deciding between quantity and speed. But, 48 should be a good compromise with a path to add more later. What about the other parts? Is it a good build? Thank you for the input.

[Duothus]

6 minutes ago, BillBill said:

MSI x99 Gaming 7 that motherboard has a TPM module connector. You can buy a TPM module. 

I was reading about this, and I think there is an extension on compatibility for some, but it may not be perpetual. There is also a list and the x99 doesn't seem to be on it (https://storage-asset.msi.com/file/test_report/TR34_18957.pdf). So there is a bit of vagueness maybe. Also,  if I am going to use this for professional work, then I'd rather have it be seamless without any potential issues. I am not as hardware literate and can do minor maintenance as a freelancer. But if for any reason a problem popped up in the middle of a job, it would halt all work. I'm also currently shifting my workflow between my desktop and my laptop (which has a mobile RTX 3070) for Unreal Engine work, so it would be nice to consolidate everything into one system and avoid the hassle. Thank you for the input.

[PDifolco]

12 minutes ago, Duothus said:

Honestly, I saw the price and was like, "Yep, I'll have it, hehe." But you're right, I should try for a lower latency. At this point I am deciding between quantity and speed. But, 48 should be a good compromise with a path to add more later. What about the other parts? Is it a good build? Thank you for the input.

The rest is good, but after checking performance the 3060 is *slower* than your 1080Ti, with 1GB VRAM more only, so it's a downgrade overall

The 4060Ti 16GB is faster and has more VRAM indeed, but the value seems quite bad, they are overpriced af at $700+ for less than +20% performance and only +5GB VRAM... 

Could you consider the Arc B580, which is massively cheaper, or do you absolutely need NVidia CUDA shenanigans and such ?

Then maybe look at used 3080 12GB they go for around $500

[BillBill]

12 minutes ago, Duothus said:

I was reading about this, and I think there is an extension on compatibility for some, but it may not be perpetual. There is also a list and the x99 doesn't seem to be on it (https://storage-asset.msi.com/file/test_report/TR34_18957.pdf). So there is a bit of vagueness maybe. Also,  if I am going to use this for professional work, then I'd rather have it be seamless without any potential issues. I am not as hardware literate and can do minor maintenance as a freelancer. But if for any reason a problem popped up in the middle of a job, it would halt all work. I'm also currently shifting my workflow between my desktop and my laptop (which has a mobile RTX 3070) for Unreal Engine work, so it would be nice to consolidate everything into one system and avoid the hassle. Thank you for the input.

I looked up the motherboard specs. It has TPM module connector. They cost between $15.00-$30.00 dollars USD. Placing a TPM module onto the motherboard is easy. It just plugs in. 

https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/X99S-GAMING-7/Specification

[Duothus]

16 minutes ago, PDifolco said:

The rest is good, but after checking performance the 3060 is *slower* than your 1080Ti, with 1GB VRAM more only, so it's a downgrade overall

The 4060Ti 16GB is faster and has more VRAM indeed, but the value seems quite bad, they are overpriced af at $700+ for less than +20% performance and only +5GB VRAM... 

Could you consider the Arc B580, which is massively cheaper, or do you absolutely need NVidia CUDA shenanigans and such ?

Then maybe look at used 3080 12GB they go for around $500

Unfortunately I do need the shenanigans. I need ray tracing for work in Unreal Engine. If I was just editing videos I would have jumped at Intel since they have some really efficient encoding specs, but there is all the 3D workflow and rendering to consider as well. I could look at used and find something sturdy. I am also thinking about power draw and heat. I think it's a damn shame what NVIDIA has done with the hiked prices, but greedy is greedy as greedy does.

[Duothus]

17 minutes ago, BillBill said:

I looked up the motherboard specs. It has TPM module connector. They cost between $15.00-$30.00 dollars USD. Placing a TPM module onto the motherboard is easy. It just plugs in. 

https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/X99S-GAMING-7/Specification

Oh okay. I'll do some more research and check this out, thanks. If I were to get a current gen GPU, would that be throttled in the platform?

[PDifolco]

4 minutes ago, Duothus said:

Unfortunately I do need the shenanigans. I need ray tracing for work in Unreal Engine. If I was just editing videos I would have jumped at Intel since they have some really efficient encoding specs, but there is all the 3D workflow and rendering to consider as well. I could look at used and find something sturdy. I am also thinking about power draw and heat. I think it's a damn shame what NVIDIA has done with the hiked prices, but greedy is greedy as greedy does.

Then your best pick is the 5070 imo, 12GB VRAM, a bit slower than the 3080 but eats 35% less power

Price is very bad as well, $800, tho...

[BillBill]

7 minutes ago, Duothus said:

Oh okay. I'll do some more research and check this out, thanks. If I were to get a current gen GPU, would that be throttled in the platform?

The GPU slots are PCIe 3.0 x16 so it will run that 3.0 speed. But the motherboard supports quad channel RAM. Fast RAM access is always helpful. 

[Duothus]

6 minutes ago, PDifolco said:

Then your best pick is the 5070 imo, 12GB VRAM, a bit slower than the 3080 but eats 35% less power

Price is very bad as well, $800, tho...

ugh. A hardware store close by suggested the Ryzen 9 9700x, but I'd be losing cores there even if it may be cheaper. I'll compare the 5070 and 4060ti and take a call I guess. If I have to go over the budget, it maybe worth spending a bit more to future proof, considering my current system lasted ten years.

[PDifolco]

1 minute ago, BillBill said:

The GPU slots are PCIe 3.0 x16 so it will run that 3.0 speed. But the motherboard supports quad channel RAM. Fast RAM access is always helpful. 

PCie Gen3 x16 only limits x16 GPU at 3080 grade, and by a very few % , issue is if you get a x8 card, like the 4060...

[strange13930]

1 hour ago, Duothus said:

For the GPU I was thinking either the RTX 3060 12GB or the 4060Ti 16GB (I need the extra VRAM for work in Unreal Engine and for some gaming, nothing fancy, I won't be pushing it to 4K ultra).

the 3060 has only one gigabyte more of vram over the 1080 ti so if vrams the only reason your upgrading I wouldn't go with the 3060

[PDifolco]

3 minutes ago, Duothus said:

ugh. A hardware store close by suggested the Ryzen 9 9700x, but I'd be losing cores there even if it may be cheaper. I'll compare the 5070 and 4060ti and take a call I guess. If I have to go over the budget, it maybe worth spending a bit more to future proof, considering my current system lasted ten years.

9700X is still more that x2 faster than your Xeon, in multicore as well than single, so...

[BillBill]

2 minutes ago, PDifolco said:

PCie Gen3 x16 only limits x16 GPU at 3080 grade, and by a very few % , issue is if you get a x8 card, like the 4060...

I had no idea the 4060 was x8. 

[PDifolco]

1 minute ago, BillBill said:

I had no idea the 4060 was x8. 

The more you buy NVidia the less you get  

 

[BillBill]

Just now, PDifolco said:

The more you buy NVidia the less you get  

 

Nvidia is pure consumerism.  

[PDifolco]

4 minutes ago, BillBill said:

Nvidia is pure consumerism.  

Not even imo, they piss on their gaming consumers...

More like mobsters having hostages  

[BillBill]

4 minutes ago, PDifolco said:

Not even imo, they piss on their gaming consumers...

More like mobsters having hostages  

What I mean by consumerism. Is someone paying $4,000.00 dollars USD for a GPU and not having any money in a bank account. 

[Duothus]

24 minutes ago, PDifolco said:

PCie Gen3 x16 only limits x16 GPU at 3080 grade, and by a very few % , issue is if you get a x8 card, like the 4060...

ah okay.

[Duothus]

24 minutes ago, strange13930 said:

the 3060 has only one gigabyte more of vram over the 1080 ti so if vrams the only reason your upgrading I wouldn't go with the 3060

It is the main reason, but I also need ray tracing capabilities and CUDA, and I don't have a very big budget, but it looks like I may have to increase it. It's fun when one brand corners the market isn't it /s.

[Duothus]

24 minutes ago, PDifolco said:

9700X is still more that x2 faster than your Xeon, in multicore as well than single, so...

hmm...You think its worth a try? Am I getting too fixated on core count?

[PDifolco]

12 minutes ago, Duothus said:

hmm...You think its worth a try? Am I getting too fixated on core count?

Really get the best your wallet can afford, if you use heavily multithread loads 9900X is +50% faster for +$150, so will definitely be better, but useless in gaming or lightly threaded loads like many sofwares are

[Duothus]

14 minutes ago, PDifolco said:

Really get the best your wallet can afford, if you use heavily multithread loads 9900X is +50% faster for +$150, so will definitely be better, but useless in gaming or lightly threaded loads like many sofwares are

It's also only 30 CAD less than the 7900. My gaming needs aren't heavy. The 9900x does have a higher TDP. Would it be easy to air cool in a smaller case? I did consider it, but with the 7900 drawing such little power, and with the option to overclock in the future, I'm thinking it is better for smaller builds.