New gaming / work PC

[notwelshman]

Hi all,

It's been a while - 10+ years - since I last built a PC, and I'm in the process of working out what I want next. I've put together a build below which gets me a little under £3000 - my priorities are as following:

* Work from home - this PC needs to cover everything below, often simultaneously!
* Gaming, obviously. Would be nice to finally replace my trusty GTX 970!
* Work - I with very large Excel spreadsheets and documents, plus some in-house programs that churn through large scale data processing, plus a bunch of other memory-sink programs such as Photoshop and occasionally video editing.
* Programming - in my spare time, I make my own games with Unity, and quite often have this open in the background while I do other stuff.
* Future proof - my current PC has lasted since 2014ish, and it'd be nice to not have to buy something new again for a while.

I already have most of the peripherals I need for now (including a 4k HDR monitor and an older 1080p monitor).

Could anyone take a look at my build and see where I'm going overkill / where could be shored up? I admit that I'm a bit rusty at this and basically put in one of the default gaming rigs and tweaked till the price made sense.

Many thanks!

Case
FRACTAL DESIGN TORRENT RGB MID TOWER CASE
Promotional Item
Get a discount code for 20% off select peripherals at Corsair.com
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D 16 Core CPU (4.2GHz-5.7GHz/144MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING X670E-PLUS WIFI (AM5, DDR5, PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 6E)
Memory (RAM)
64GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB DDR5 5600MHz (2 x 32GB) AMD
Graphics Card
16GB ASUS TUF GEFORCE RTX 4070 Ti SUPER OC EDITION - HDMI, DP
Graphics Card Support Bracket
NONE (BRACKET INCLUDED AS STANDARD ON 4070 Ti / RX 7700 XT AND ABOVE)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 6500MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 6500MB/sW)
External DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
6x Slim USB 2.0 External Blu-Ray Writer
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W RMe SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
PCS FrostFlow 200 Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 11 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-asus-pba/AYfDMHE83n/

 

[TonyCarter]

Is your old system being retired? Do you have a Windows licence that could be transferred?

Do you have any other m.2 SSDs or HDDs you'll be transferring?

BTW, the Fractal Torrent is a great airflow case, but there's no way to top-mount the AIO cooler you'd really need for the 7950X3D and you'd have to remove the pre-fitted front bottom fans to accommodate it there. So for now, I have added the best air cooler the PCS offer.

If so, you could get this build with faster RAM, beefier GPU and beefier PSU for about the same cost.

Case
FRACTAL DESIGN TORRENT RGB MID TOWER CASE - no change
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D 16 Core CPU (4.2GHz-5.7GHz/144MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5) - no change
Motherboard
GIGABYTE X670 AORUS ELITE AX (AM5, DDR5, PCIe 4.0, Wi-Fi 6E) - had to take the Gigabyte as PCS still don't support 64MB of 6000MHz on Asus motherboards
Memory (RAM)
64GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 6000MHz (2 x 32GB) KIT - fastest 64GB kit PCS offer
Graphics Card
16GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 4080 SUPER - HDMI, DP, LHR - a bit of a bump up from the 4070Ti to help with the 4K usage
Graphics Card Support Bracket
NONE (BRACKET INCLUDED AS STANDARD ON 4070 Ti / RX 7700 XT AND ABOVE)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 4700MB/sW) - smaller drive to encourage good housekeeping, and ensure you only keep the OS/apps/game launchers on it
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SOLIDIGM P41+ GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 4125MB/sR, 3325MB/sW) - secondary drive for games
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SOLIDIGM P41+ GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 4125MB/sR, 3325MB/sW) - tertiary drive for 'other'
External DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
6x Slim USB 2.0 External Blu-Ray Writer - no change
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1200W RMx SHIFT SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET - 750W (although it is the newer ATX3.1 spec) is too low for a 4080 Super, and this will give you years of GPU/CPU upgradability; but it also one of the new ATX3.1 spec PSUs with better protections for the power spikes of 2-3x modern GPUs are producing
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead, 1.0mm Core)
Processor Cooling
DeepCool AK620 ZERO DARK High-Performance Dual Tower CPU Cooler - probably not enough for that CPU, but the case limits what we can fit - and it may be enough with this excellent airflow case
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING - no change
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD) - no change
Network Card
ONBOARD 2.5Gbe LAN PORT - no change
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS - no change
Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED - £100 saving if you have a Windows licence to transfer
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
NO RECOVERY MEDIA REQUIRED
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required) - no change
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE - no change
Browser
Google Chrome™ - no change
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour) - no change
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI) - no change
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 5 to 7 working days
Price: £2,965.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/p0BarFQHfU/

 

[notwelshman]

Hi @TonyCarter ! Huge thanks for this - it's really useful! I have a few questions / thoughts:

• At this point, I'm undecided what is going to happen to my existing PC, so I may end up just stumping for a fresh license for Windows. Aside from anything else, my PC right now is on Windows 10 (can't be upgraded as no TPM chip), so I assume any license transfer would have to be for Windows 10 then upgraded (if that's still possible)? But if the PC can otherwise be put to work for me or someone else, or even sold on, then might I'll be needing to get a new license anyway.
• One thing I might transfer from the old PC is a 6TB hard drive I was given ages ago (I think it's one of these: https://harddiskdirect.co.uk/st6000...a-6gb/s-256mb-cache-3.5-inch-hard-drives.html). But that's just a possible extra - I think your HDD solution does make sense, although I have found it difficult recently to stop my current 250gb SSD from constantly filling up with updates (even though I try to install everything on the other drives and try to stay on top of removing things like temp files etc).
• I do have a concern around your comment that the DeepCool Cooler is "probably not enough for that CPU, but the case limits what we can fit - and it may be enough with this excellent airflow case". How problematic do you think this might be? Is there anything else I can do here?

Again, thank you so much!

 

[TonyCarter]

The old HDD can be added to the new build in one of the HDD bays/mounts, so plenty of space for that.

The cooler suitability is dependent on how heavy a workload the CPU is going to get...and I'd have to assume that it will get a regular workout if you've gone for the full-fat 7950X3D.

However, AM5 CPUs are designed to run at what would be considered high temps in older generations, so long runs at 85ºc will not bother it one bit, and it's designed to throttle at about 95ºc...so to keep it below that peak temp is where a better cooler comes in, as it...

1. keeps the CPU cooler due to the bulk liquid in the radiator and the larger surface area to cool it
2. does the same level of cooling with lower fan speeds than an air cooler, and so produces less noise

But I know the Fractal Torrent is about the best airflow case PCS offer, and that might be sufficient to allow the Deepcool AK620 too keep this CPU running well...but my knowledge on the efficiency of that case with that cooler and that CPU is non-existent.

 

[notwelshman]

Brilliant - thank you so much, @TonyCarter !

I shall give this a good ponder, but I think I like the direction this has gone in...

 

[SpyderTracks]

Just to point out, the TJMax (thermal throttle on 7950x3d is 89, not over 90

I would STRONLY recommend NOT settling for air, you won’t achieve the potential boosts of the cpu

 

[TonyCarter]

Just to point out, the TJMax (thermal throttle on 7950x3d is 89, not over 90

I would STRONLY recommend NOT settling for air, you won’t achieve the potential boosts of the cpu

Sorry, realised I was on the 7950X page of the AMD website (even though I'd googled the 7950X3D, so I blame AI)!

 

[notwelshman]

Are there any good alternatives I should consider here, @SpyderTracks / @TonyCarter ?

 

[TonyCarter]

Are there any good alternatives I should consider here, @SpyderTracks / @TonyCarter ?

For the cooler, case, both or something else?

I believe that case allows for either front or bottom mounting of upto a 420mm AIO (PCS offer up to 360mm) - but you have to remove the 2 front 180mm fans to do so.

 

[SpyderTracks]

For the cooler, case, both or something else?

I believe that case allows for either front or bottom mounting of upto a 420mm AIO (PCS offer up to 360mm) - but you have to remove the 2 front 180mm fans to do so.

Think it’s good on the roof for 420mm isn’t it?

Edit, no it isn’t, I thought that case was, it’s more restrictive than I though

 

[TonyCarter]

Think it’s good on the roof for 420mm isn’t it?

Couldn't see any top mount option on the Fractal website...but the top looks solid rather than perforated...and the PSU goes at the top.

That's why I am conflicted...as it's a great airflow case, but you have to throw away the RGB versions 2x180mm front fans or 3x140mm bottom fans (although PCS only allow the former) for the sake of an AIO.

 

[notwelshman]

Sorry, I am ignorant here, so please feel free to talk down to me!

I should note that I think I based my build on this standard PCS build: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/view/PBA-Artisan-Ultra/

...which I think has a larger case, but the PCS FrostFlow 200 cooling, which it sounds like is nowhere near enough (unless the case itself would make enough of a difference)?

I guess my question is: should I up the case size, or am I just being a bit greedy here given my budget? I'm not 100% wedded to the case in my original - I just liked the lights!

EDIT: Or is the answer just to downgrade to the 7950X from the 7950X3D for what I can only assume isn't the hugest performance hit?

 

[TonyCarter]

If it's RGB bling you're after, then the 5000X RGB or 6500X will offer lots of opportunity for that (and you can put LOTS of extra fans and an AIO in them!

5000X RGB

6500X (this is mine whilst I was adding more RGB to the bottom)

 

[notwelshman]

Oo, that is a sparkly case!

Does this start to cover it a bit better, then? I think I've put in one of the coolers that you're talking about, although I am fumbling a bit here!

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 5000X RGB MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D 16 Core CPU (4.2GHz-5.7GHz/144MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
GIGABYTE X670 AORUS ELITE AX (AM5, DDR5, PCIe 4.0, Wi-Fi 6E)
Memory (RAM)
64GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 6000MHz (2 x 32GB) KIT
Graphics Card
16GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 4080 SUPER - HDMI, DP, LHR
Graphics Card Support Bracket
NONE (BRACKET INCLUDED AS STANDARD ON 4070 Ti / RX 7700 XT AND ABOVE)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 4700MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SOLIDIGM P41+ GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 4125MB/sR, 3325MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SOLIDIGM P41+ GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 4125MB/sR, 3325MB/sW)
External DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
6x Slim USB 2.0 External Blu-Ray Writer
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1000W RMx SERIES™ - MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead, 1.0mm Core)
Processor Cooling
CORSAIR ICUE LINK H150i RGB HIGH PERFORMANCE CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
ONBOARD 2.5Gbe LAN PORT
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 11 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
NO RECOVERY MEDIA REQUIRED
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 5 to 7 working days
Price: £3,080.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/Sawxg842rx/

 

[SpyderTracks]

The 5000X is a superb case, not just aesthetically but performance wise too, has really good radiator support

 

[Scott]

Couple of personal notes.

The 5000X is the case for this build IMO. It's stunning. Photos will never do it justice. As already suggested, it's a solid performer and would handle just about every heat output level of build.
7950X - I don't think you need/want this. I get your thinking and reasoning for choosing it (it's high end) but you're not going to see any benefit with your uses. The 7800X3D would be a far better choice for the cash IMO. I went from the 9900K (top end) to the 7800X3D (Gaming top end) and it runs rings around the 9900k for the multi-use options that you've alluded to. Spreadsheets are single thread anyway, photoshop is primarily single thread with very little multi-thread use. The difference in single thread performance is minimal but the hassle of core isolation needs considered (it's easier now) as well as the money to get an extra 8 cores of parking.
64GB of RAM won't be future proofing at all. I can't see you having any need for 64GB at all. 32GB will be more than enough for the foreseeable future and by the time it's not, we will be way past 6000Mhz so you would be missing out. Spending money on something that you wont use in case you might use it in years to come by which time the use case will be surpassed and you'll likely upgrade to see the benefit is a waste of cash (Lack of punctuation deliberate )

 

[notwelshman]

Hi @Scott ! You make some good points, and you also knocked about £200 off the price, which is not to be sniffed at!

Do I still need the high end cooling for this build? What do other people think?

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 5000X RGB MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Promotional Item
Get a discount code for 20% off select peripherals at Corsair.com
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D Eight Core CPU (4.2GHz-5.0GHz/104MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
GIGABYTE X670 AORUS ELITE AX (AM5, DDR5, PCIe 4.0, Wi-Fi 6E)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 6000MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
16GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 4080 SUPER - HDMI, DP, LHR
Graphics Card Support Bracket
NONE (BRACKET INCLUDED AS STANDARD ON 4070 Ti / RX 7700 XT AND ABOVE)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 4700MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SOLIDIGM P41+ GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 4125MB/sR, 3325MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SOLIDIGM P41+ GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 4125MB/sR, 3325MB/sW)
External DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
6x Slim USB 2.0 External Blu-Ray Writer
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1000W RMx SERIES™ - MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead, 1.0mm Core)
Processor Cooling
CORSAIR ICUE LINK H150i RGB HIGH PERFORMANCE CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
ONBOARD 2.5Gbe LAN PORT
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 11 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
NO RECOVERY MEDIA REQUIRED
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 5 to 7 working days
Price: £2,853.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/k9nqChfePD/

 

[Scott]

For your uses it's worthwhile, you can't ever have too much cooling.... the only limitation is budget. With the Corsair range there isn't a worthwhile price difference from the H100 - H150 range so it's worthwhile opting for the H150 for the aesthetic. It will look stunning inside the 5000X case. The 7800X3D is very sensitive to temperature when it comes to maximum performance so every little will help here when you're maximising its utilisation.

 

[Scott]

Oh, something that I meant to mention but forgot.... the PSU. It would be worth considering putting some of the savings to the 1200w PSU option. It's an ATX3.0 model and covers any transient spikes. The 1000W RMx should handle everything the 4080 can throw but the 1200w would handle it effortlessly and cover any future upgrades you wanted to consider. I wouldn't have the 4090 with a 1000w non-ATX3.0 PSU for example.

 

[notwelshman]

Amazing - thank you, @Scott !

I actually reduced the PSU previously from @TonyCarter 's initial thoughts (he also recommended 1200W) just to keep costs a bit lower, but as I now have a little overhead I've bolstered back up again and I'm still just a shade under £2900, which I think is a good spot. Posting the build again here in case any other thoughts, but otherwise I'm going to mull for a bit (and maybe press the button if my current PC craps out again later).!

Big thanks to @TonyCarter and @SpyderTracks as well!

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 5000X RGB MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Promotional Item
Get a discount code for 20% off select peripherals at Corsair.com
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D Eight Core CPU (4.2GHz-5.0GHz/104MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
GIGABYTE X670 AORUS ELITE AX (AM5, DDR5, PCIe 4.0, Wi-Fi 6E)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 6000MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
16GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 4080 SUPER - HDMI, DP, LHR
Graphics Card Support Bracket
NONE (BRACKET INCLUDED AS STANDARD ON 4070 Ti / RX 7700 XT AND ABOVE)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 4700MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SOLIDIGM P41+ GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 4125MB/sR, 3325MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SOLIDIGM P41+ GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 4125MB/sR, 3325MB/sW)
External DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
6x Slim USB 2.0 External Blu-Ray Writer
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1200W RMx SHIFT SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead, 1.0mm Core)
Processor Cooling
CORSAIR ICUE LINK H150i RGB HIGH PERFORMANCE CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
ONBOARD 2.5Gbe LAN PORT
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 11 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
NO RECOVERY MEDIA REQUIRED
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 5 to 7 working days
Price: £2,895.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/ztnvNqy02A/