PC build for photo/video editing (and a little gaming!)

[Ascetic Focus]

Can you include the configurable link at the bottom of that spec sheet mate?

I would stay well clear of that PSU and I'd personally want better storage for this grade of a machine

Generally what you're doing here is a paying a premium for core parts then cheaping out on the rest of the build. This is pretty unbalanced and not recommended as it can affect longevity of the build

Also yeah that CPU cooler comes with it's own very high quality paste so the extra paste isn't needed

You really need a better PSU though

Here's the link: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/uv2pXG99X3/

Okay, so I'm trying to stay within a budget so to speak - I would like to go for the 750 TXm series (not too expensive but then, not from the current CV series either)

What do you define as better storage? You mean more? Or higher quality?

 

[Rakk]

Okay, so I'm trying to stay within a budget so to speak

May help if you specify what said budget is

Edit: Note: the thread I was replying too didn't have a budget stated in it by this point, but its now been merged so it may be there now

 

[Steveyg]

Here's the link: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/uv2pXG99X3/

Okay, so I'm trying to stay within a budget so to speak - I would like to go for the 750 TXm series (not too expensive but then, not from the current CV series either)

What do you define as better storage? You mean more? Or higher quality?

What is the budget mate, it seems a lot of the components are currently out of stock so it's hard to put something together.

I can help make suggestions with the link above but would need a limit in costs for what kind of changes I would make

 

[Ascetic Focus]

I'll try and answer some of these for your mate, although seeing your whole spec will help us answer these questions

1. The motherboard should be ok with the 5900x. I would have preferred to have the X570 STRIXX personally but the B550 STRIXX should do the job. It's not a case of being overpowered it's a case of the motherboard being a good enough standard to not hold the CPU back.

GPU/motherboard pairings isn't really a thing. The GPU should work just fine on pretty much any board that has a proper slot for it. It's a more a match for the CPU. It can be a factor for particularly powerful GPU's but the 3060Ti should be fine on pretty much any board

2. RAM depends entirely on usage. The latencies on the RAM PCS use between the 3600Mhz and the 3200Mhz make them very similar, but they still can have significant differences depending on the end usage. For gaming there is practically zero difference between them

3. If you've bought a computer without an OS then a bare bones "TEST" OS will be installed. It's recommended that you completely remove this and start with a new fresh install of your own copy of Windows. The TEST OS will not be configured fully or properly as it's only used to check if the system is working

You'll have to sort out your own installation which there are some guides on the forums here

4. The CV model PSU's are basically office computer power supplies. I would strongly recommending changing this, we generally recommend the 850W RMx due to it's superior build quality and very reasonable price. The absolutely bare minimum we generally recommend is the 750W Txm but only if the budget isn't there for something better. If you have a 5900x in there and a B550 STRIXX you can afford a proper PSU

5. Thermal paste would depend entirely on the CPU cooler you've selected

I would have loved to have the X570 myself, but... budget either way the last thing I want is to invest in a heavy CPU such as the 5900X only for it to not perform to its optimum

I forgot to mention that the other reason I've decided to stick to the 3600Mhz is because I will be doing a lot of heavy editing (photo and video, including after effects)

Ah - so I could start the PC without my SSD plugged in? I'd much prefer my own copy of Windows!

I'm seriously considering changing to the 750W TMx series now (as my budget doesn't allow for the RMx unfortunately)

I've selected the 'CORSAIR iCUE H100i ELITE LCD Display RGB CPU' cooler and I've been told it comes with a high quality paste so I think 'Arctic' is definitely off the list

 

[Ascetic Focus]

May help if you specify what said budget is

Haha, so sorry! For some reason I keep thinking I've mentioned it but it's all in my head!

£1800 (give or take £50) and I've pretty much hit that right about now (especially since swapping out the M.2 SSD)

 

[Ascetic Focus]

What is the budget mate, it seems a lot of the components are currently out of stock so it's hard to put something together.

I can help make suggestions with the link above but would need a limit in costs for what kind of changes I would make

It's £1800 (give or take £50) and yes, many of the products are going out of stock!! :O

 

[Steveyg]

Assuming a budget of right smack on £1850, this is a much more balanced build mate

Case
LIAN LI LANCOOL II GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X Eight Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.7GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF X570-PLUS GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3060 Ti - HDMI, DP, LHR
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3000MB/sR | 1600MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2200 MB/R, 1500 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H100i ELITE CAPELLIX RGB Hydro 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
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
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 - Subject to stock availability on pre-order products
Price: £1,855.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/aZJsd92eu7/

 

[RichLan564]

I would have loved to have the X570 myself, but... budget either way the last thing I want is to invest in a heavy CPU such as the 5900X only for it to not perform to its optimum

I forgot to mention that the other reason I've decided to stick to the 3600Mhz is because I will be doing a lot of heavy editing (photo and video, including after effects)

Ah - so I could start the PC without my SSD plugged in? I'd much prefer my own copy of Windows!

I'm seriously considering changing to the 750W TMx series now (as my budget doesn't allow for the RMx unfortunately)

I've selected the 'CORSAIR iCUE H100i ELITE LCD Display RGB CPU' cooler and I've been told it comes with a high quality paste so I think 'Arctic' is definitely off the list

What editing package(s) are you using ?

I would be surprised if you notice a difference between 3200 and 3600Mhz RAM but its probably only a few quid more anyway ?

 

[Ascetic Focus]

What editing package(s) are you using ?

I would be surprised if you notice a difference between 3200 and 3600Mhz RAM but its probably only a few quid more anyway ?

Adobe CC at the current moment

It's £6 more lol which is so small. I was watching a video where a guy was making a comparison and he states that in some cases the 3600 can actually be slower! but not too sure on the specifics...

 

[RichLan564]

Adobe CC at the current moment

It's £6 more lol which is so small. I was watching a video where a guy was making a comparison and he states that in some cases the 3600 can actually be slower! but not too sure on the specifics...

OK, have a read here for guide on specs and performance expected on Premiere Pro and Photoshop

Hardware Recommendations

Our workstations for Adobe Premiere Pro are tested and optimized to give you the best performance and reliability. View our hardware recommendations.

www.pugetsystems.com

Hardware Recommendations

Our workstations for Adobe Photoshop are tested and optimized to give you the best performance and reliability. View our hardware recommendations.

www.pugetsystems.com

The above spec from SteveyG looks good for both

The 3600 is CL18 and the 3200 is CL16 so there isn't much in it, if it was 3600 CL16 that would be a different matter and a different price....

 

[Ascetic Focus]

Assuming a budget of right smack on £1850, this is a much more balanced build mate

Case
LIAN LI LANCOOL II GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X Eight Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.7GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF X570-PLUS GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3060 Ti - HDMI, DP, LHR
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3000MB/sR | 1600MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2200 MB/R, 1500 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H100i ELITE CAPELLIX RGB Hydro 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
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
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 - Subject to stock availability on pre-order products
Price: £1,855.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/aZJsd92eu7/

Not a fan of the case but I know the 4000X is no longer available?

I see you've chosen the Ryzen 7 and TUF X570 - am I right in saying that the Ryzen 7 5800 would be a more comfortable 'fit' with the TUF X570 motherboard? As compared to having a more powerful GPU such as the Ryzen 9 5900?

I personally feel I have enough storage with my current 1TB SSD (only used around a third of it's space) and an external 2TB of HDD storage - both of which will be installed into this new build

I was also curious as to why you've gone for a PSU almost twice the power of what I'll actually be using?

 

[Martinr36]

I was also curious as to why you've gone for a PSU almost twice the power of what I'll actually be using?

It's to give you descent headroom for upgrades over the life (7-10 years) of the PC

 

[Bigfoot]

Not a fan of the case but I know the 4000X is no longer available?

I see you've chosen the Ryzen 7 and TUF X570 - am I right in saying that the Ryzen 7 5800 would be a more comfortable 'fit' with the TUF X570 motherboard? As compared to having a more powerful GPU such as the Ryzen 9 5900?

I personally feel I have enough storage with my current 1TB SSD (only used around a third of it's space) and an external 2TB of HDD storage - both of which will be installed into this new build

I was also curious as to why you've gone for a PSU almost twice the power of what I'll actually be using?

If you want to drive a car on the motorway, do you buy one that has a top speed of 70mph and run that flat out or would you rather have a car that had a bit to spare? Noise and longevity might be a factor in the decision.

 

[Ascetic Focus]

If you want to drive a car on the motorway, do you buy one that has a top speed of 70mph and run that flat out or would you rather have a car that had a bit to spare? Noise and longevity might be a factor in the decision.

Here, are you referring to motherboard/CPU limitations or PSU? (I would think the latter?)

 

[JUNI0R]

Here, are you referring to motherboard/CPU limitations or PSU? (I would think the latter?)

The PSU. Sticking to car analogies, I like to think of is that it's similar to a car engine, with the revs being the wattage used and the redline being the maximum wattage. If your revs are always close to the redline, it's bad for the engine and will shorten the life expectency of the engine, or worse, could break it. Where as if revs are low and redline is high then it's much happier. It's the same with the wattage of PSU's really. Plus having a higher wattage PSU allows for more powerful upgrades later on.

 

[Ascetic Focus]

The PSU. Sticking to car analogies, I like to think of is that it's similar to a car engine, with the revs being the wattage used and the redline being the maximum wattage. If your revs are always close to the redline, it's bad for the engine and will shorten the life expectency of the engine, or worse, could break it. Where as if revs are low and redline is high then it's much happier. It's the same with the wattage of PSU's really. Plus having a higher wattage PSU allows for more powerful upgrades later on.

Thank you, that was a nice analogy 🙂👍

 

[RichLan564]

If you want to drive a car on the motorway, do you buy one that has a top speed of 70mph and run that flat out or would you rather have a car that had a bit to spare? Noise and longevity might be a factor in the decision.

As Guy Martin says "Better to be looking at horespower than for it"

 

[Ascetic Focus]

So I've a general question regarding PC's and workstations:

Is it better to keep a PC or workstation constantly running (i.e. not switching it off at the end of the day/after a session)?

I've heard that repeatedly turning a PC on and off, say a few times a day, is actually bad for its health and that the hardware is designed to constantly stay switched on/running (as compared to a laptop or a phone which is designed (by it's very nature) to be turned off and on again quite often.

 

[Martinr36]

My desktop, is on pretty much 24/7/365

 

[Ascetic Focus]

My desktop, is on pretty much 24/7/365

Okay, brilliant - so what are your reasons behind keeping it on constantly? 😬