New build advice

[Kribby2006]

Hi all,

I used to build my own PCs and have had great advice from this forum in the past, but I’m a bit out of the loop now. I’m looking to put together a higher-end gaming PC, ideally in a small form factor, and I’ve put together the spec below.

I realise I’m not giving a strict framework in terms of requirements, but I’d really welcome any thoughts on compatibility, potential issues, or any general advice or “gotchas” from your experience.

The total is circa £2500, thanks for any advice in advance.

Case - Corsair iCUE LINK 2500X RGB Micro ATX Dual Chamber PC Case - Black CC-9011267-WW - £154.99
Motherboard - MSI B850M Gaming Plus WIFI (AMD AM5) B850 DDR5 Micro-ATX Motherboard - £164.99
Processor - AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Eight Core 5.20GHz (Socket AM5) Processor - Retail - £399.95
Memory G.Skill Royal RGB XMP 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5 PC5-51200C32 6400MHz Dual Channel Kit - Silver - £379.99
CPU Cooler - Corsair iCUE LINK TITAN 360 RX LCD RGB Black All In One CPU Cooler - 360mm - £259.99
PSU - CORSAIR RM850x Gold ATX 3.1 PCIe 5.1 Fully Modular Power Supply £147.95
GPU - MSI GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Ventus 3X OC 16GB GDDR7 PCI-Express Graphics Card - £749.99
Storage Samsung 990 Pro 2TB M.2 2280 PCI-e 4.0 x4 NVMe 1.3c Solid State Drive £299.99 (not sure if this prices is correct)

 

[mickyflinn]

You could save yourself £300 with 2 changes , the case and cooler.

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/phanteks-xt-m3-micro-atx-case-black-cas-phk-05735.html

Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE ARGB Black CPU Cooler - 120mm

Order Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE ARGB Black CPU Cooler - 120mm now online and benefit from fast delivery.

www.overclockers.co.uk

£60 cheaper memory 6009mhz is ideal for AM5.

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/kingston-fury-beast-expo-32gb-2x16gb-ddr5-pc5-48000c36-6000mhz-dual-chann-mem-kng-02963.html

 

[Gray2233]

Upper end of your budget:

My basket at OcUK:

• 1 x Corsair iCUE LINK 2500X RGB Micro ATX Dual Chamber PC Case - Black CC-9011267-WW (SKU: CAS-CRS-01882) = £154.99
• 1 x Thermalright Aqua Elite 360 Black ARGB V3 All In One CPU Cooler (SKU: COO-TLR-03256) = £49.99
• 1 x MSI MPG A1000G PCIE5 UK PSU 1000W 80 Plus Gold Power Supply (SKU: CA-00W-MS) = £140.00
• 1 x AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Eight Core 5.20GHz (Socket AM5) Processor - Retail (SKU: PRO-AMD-03517) = £399.94
• 1 x TeamGroup Delta RGB 32GB (2X16GB) DDR5 PC5-48000C38 6000MHz Dual Channel Ki (SKU: MY-0AT-TG) = £299.99
• 1 x Gigabyte Aorus 7300 2TB SSD M.2 2280 NVME PCI-E Gen4 Solid State Drive (SKU: STO-GIG-05732) = £179.99
• 1 x MSI B850M Gaming Plus WIFI6E (AMD AM5) B850 DDR5 Micro-ATX Motherboard (SKU: MOT-MSI-05943) = £130.00
• 1 x Gainward GeForce RTX 5080 Phoenix 16GB GDDR7 PCI-Express Graphics Card (SKU: GRA-GNW-03981) = £979.99

Total: £2,346.88 (includes delivery: £11.98)​

Cheaper alternative GPU that's within 5% of the performance of the 5070ti, the 5080 is around 10-15% faster on average than the 5070ti/9070XT:

My basket at OcUK:

• 1 x Corsair iCUE LINK 2500X RGB Micro ATX Dual Chamber PC Case - Black CC-9011267-WW (SKU: CAS-CRS-01882) = £154.99
• 1 x Thermalright Aqua Elite 360 Black ARGB V3 All In One CPU Cooler (SKU: COO-TLR-03256) = £49.99
• 1 x MSI MPG A1000G PCIE5 UK PSU 1000W 80 Plus Gold Power Supply (SKU: CA-00W-MS) = £140.00
• 1 x AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Eight Core 5.20GHz (Socket AM5) Processor - Retail (SKU: PRO-AMD-03517) = £399.94
• 1 x TeamGroup Delta RGB 32GB (2X16GB) DDR5 PC5-48000C38 6000MHz Dual Channel Ki (SKU: MY-0AT-TG) = £299.99
• 1 x Gigabyte Aorus 7300 2TB SSD M.2 2280 NVME PCI-E Gen4 Solid State Drive (SKU: STO-GIG-05732) = £179.99
• 1 x MSI B850M Gaming Plus WIFI6E (AMD AM5) B850 DDR5 Micro-ATX Motherboard (SKU: MOT-MSI-05943) = £130.00
• 1 x Asus Radeon RX 9070 XT Prime OC 16GB GDDR6 PCI-Express Graphics Card (SKU: GRA-ASU-04155) = £589.99

Total: £1,956.88 (includes delivery: £11.98)​

Kept the case as that comes down to personal preference, but there are some excellent cheaper alternatives for around £50 such as the Phanteks suggested by @mickyflinn.

These might be overkill depending on your monitor/resolution, but would be excellent for 1440P and competent for 4K.

 

[Kribby2006]

Thanks so much for all the answers — I’ll take a good look through everything. To be honest, the cooler I linked seemed a bit excessive and the storage more expensive than other similar options here at OCUK, but the alternatives and options suggested here are really useful.

I’d also like to be able to run games on my LG G4 (4k TV), so having the option of an RTX 5080 is appealing too.

I've also noticed (from your post) you can share the cart directly etc, everyday a learning day

 

[Gray2233]

Thanks so much for all the answers — I’ll take a good look through everything. To be honest, the cooler I linked seemed a bit excessive and the storage more expensive than other similar options here at OCUK, but the alternatives and options suggested here are really useful.

I’d also like to be able to run games on my LG G4 (4k TV), so having the option of an RTX 5080 is appealing too.

I've also noticed (from your post) you can share the cart directly etc, everyday a learning day

If you scroll down on the cart page, click the "BB Code" box and copy-paste the text inside, handy little feature.

 

[Craig_d1]

I'd drop the corsair case /cooler/ssd..the rx fans aren't exactly top end so no idea why they're so expensive...you going white build or black? can't tell from black case with white mobo?

 

[Craig_d1]

a few cases to choose from (dual chamber, fishbowl and conventional)..the 011d mini v2 (make sure new v2 version) you need to get fans for, making it most expensive, or you can get it with 5 non rgb fans for £10 more or so. the phanteks also comes in a variety with glass front and side if you so wish. and all available in white

My basket at OcUK:

• 1 x PHANTEKS XT M3 Micro-ATX Case, includes 3x 120mm Fans - Black (SKU: CAS-PHK-05735) = £52.90
• 1 x MSI MAG PANO M100R PZ - Black (SKU: CAS-MSI-01898) = £64.99
• 1 x Lian Li A3-mATX Tempered Glass Micro-ATX Case (Black) (SKU: CAS-LIA-04811) = £59.99
• 1 x Lian Li Vector V100R Mini ARGB mATX Tower Case - Black (SKU: CAS-LIA-06780) = £56.98
• 1 x Lian Li O11 Dynamic Mini V2 Midi-Tower Case - Black (SKU: CAS-LIA-05354) = £75.95

Total: £334.80 (includes delivery: £23.98)​

 

[Craig_d1]

Very much like @Gray2233 . used the sapphire nitro mobo, and used the lian li hydrshyft II aio which is a bit on expensive side itself, but still cheaper than the corsair one. it has a nice lcd screen, the tubing is hidden giving a clean look and the cl fans are wireless..the connections for aio are all at the top where the rad is too...Jonsbo TH 360 for £80 on preorder gives a nice clear led also, but no idea on warranty etc..but cheaper
no need for a 1000w psu, 850 more than enough..I'd also look away. the montech century II is a good A rated psu and the 1050w model is £90 on christmas offer or £110 for 1200w (which will cover an upgrade to 5090 power)
as for gpu, the 5070ti and 98070xt are on a par really for raster..nvidia slight advantage with ray tracing but not sure it's worth £120 more (i went 9070xt so i didn't think so)..as for the 5080, as cheapest is £975 i think, a 74% premium for a 15% uplift def isn't worth it..save the cash for an ugrade down the line
ram non rgb, just went with expo to make it a bit easier, and these were 6000C30 speed

My basket at OcUK:

• 1 x Lian Li Vector V100R Mini ARGB mATX Tower Case - Black (SKU: CAS-LIA-06780) = £56.99
• 1 x Sapphire Nitro+ B850M WiFi (Socket AM5) DDR5 Micro-ATX Motherboard (SKU: MOT-SPR-05690) = £139.99
• 1 x AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Eight Core 5.20GHz (Socket AM5) Processor - Retail (SKU: PRO-AMD-03517) = £399.95
• 1 x Patriot Viper Venom EXPO 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5 C30 6000MHz Dual Channel Kit (SKU: MEM-PAT-06805) = £338.99
• 1 x Lian Li HydroShift II LCD-C 360R Black All In One CPU Cooler - 360mm (SKU: COO-LIA-04868) = £149.98
• 1 x Gigabyte Aorus 7300 2TB SSD M.2 2280 NVME PCI-E Gen4 Solid State Drive (SKU: STO-GIG-05732) = £179.99
• 1 x Asus TUF Gaming 1000W 80 Plus Gold Power Supply (SKU: CA-05Z-AS) = £134.99
• 1 x Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9070 XT Gaming 16GB GDDR6 PCI-Express Graphics Card (SKU: GRA-SPR-03983) = £559.99

Total: £1,972.86 (includes delivery: £11.98)​

 

[AyeAyeAhoy!]

The lian-li looked really nice - hadn't seen that case before. Like a cheaper Fractal Design North

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/lian-li-a3-matx-md-black-glass-side-panel-cas-lia-04811.html

 

[Kribby2006]

Ah this is great, and something I remember from last time (all the great advice).

In terms of colour, I just cobbled together some basic bits from what I had read lately (I didn't have a definitive theme), so again this is really useful, thanks!

 

[Gray2233]

As per @Craig_d1 the Sapphire Nitro B850 is the one to get, the only reason I recommended the MSI B850 was because the Nitro wasn't showing in stock at the time and everything else was either Asrock or way more expensive.

Asrock are a decent company with some great products, but they do have issues regarding X3D CPU's with their motherboards which honestly isn't worth the gamble when there's on par options for a similar price.

PSU right now with your budget, I'd go for a 1000-1200W decent PSU purely due to pricing. The better 850W's which would be ample aren't that much cheaper, and you're well within budget regardless.

 

[Kribby2006]

As per @Craig_d1 the Sapphire Nitro B850 is the one to get, the only reason I recommended the MSI B850 was because the Nitro wasn't showing in stock at the time and everything else was either Asrock or way more expensive.

Asrock are a decent company with some great products, but they do have issues regarding X3D CPU's with their motherboards which honestly isn't worth the gamble when there's on par options for a similar price.

PSU right now with your budget, I'd go for a 1000-1200W decent PSU purely due to pricing. The better 850W's which would be ample aren't that much cheaper, and you're well within budget regardless.

Many thanks

 

[sastusbulbas]

Bear in mind, a few reviews have already complained about the BIOS, RGB settings and CPU power limits. And no clear Cmos button if that's important to you. I can't remember the last time I pressed a clear Cmos button.

Regarding Asrock. Based on % currently the chance of you having an Asrock motherboard fry your AMD CPU is far less than the chance of you needing to RMA an AMD CPU, but the Reddit thread sure has affected many an opinion.

As for the Sapphire Nitro B850M, well its pretty much a nice looking budget/mid board, sure you can drop in a 9800X3D, but you mentioned wanting a higher end build. I think the Sapphire is a great product for £120, but I feel the more premium B850M options above £160 are more suited to having a higher end 9800X3D build.

 

[mark 11:11]

where did you hear that asrock made the boards for sapphire? i was under the impression it was chaintech?
i haven't had any issues with the bios rgb settings or the cpu power settings and I've got a 9950x3d sat on my sapphire b850a motherboard that I'm typing this on now

 

[sastusbulbas]

where did you hear that asrock made the boards for sapphire? i was under the impression it was chaintech?
i haven't had any issues with the bios rgb settings or the cpu power settings and I've got a 9950x3d sat on my sapphire b850a motherboard that I'm typing this on now

You may well be correct!

When the motherboards where released an online review mentioned the Asrock connection, looking a bit deeper recent reviews now say Chaintech, so possibly the earlier reviews where presuming Asrock due to the 2021 connection.

Thank you for pointing that out!

 

[mark 11:11]

You may well be correct!

When the motherboards where released an online review mentioned the Asrock connection, looking a bit deeper recent reviews now say Chaintech, so possibly the earlier reviews where presuming Asrock due to the 2021 connection.

Thank you for pointing that out!

i also saw that same thing you did lol which really worried me as i had in fact just bought the board
i might be wrong and it might turn out chaintech is infact the same company making asrock lol
i havnt seen the complaints about hte other things you have seen [this doesnt mean they dont exist just means i havnt seen them lol]
i do like my board im using BUT i also know im looking at it with rose tinted glasses because its my board and i like it lol i need to be more aware that
others might find different to me with them lol
id deffo recomend at least checking these sapphire boards out at least lol

 

[Gray2233]

i also saw that same thing you did lol which really worried me as i had in fact just bought the board
i might be wrong and it might turn out chaintech is infact the same company making asrock lol
i havnt seen the complaints about hte other things you have seen [this doesnt mean they dont exist just means i havnt seen them lol]
i do like my board im using BUT i also know im looking at it with rose tinted glasses because its my board and i like it lol i need to be more aware that
others might find different to me with them lol
id deffo recomend at least checking these sapphire boards out at least lol

I've used the Nitro and happily would again, even for a 9950 based build.

Sapphire Nitro+ B850A Wi-Fi 7 Review

Sapphire aims for the sub $200 B850 motherboard market with a solid specification and good looks, but how does it stack up to bigger motherboard manufacturers when it comes to the EFI and software, or VRM and SSD temperatures?

www.techpowerup.com

The two large heatsinks cooling the 12+2+1 power phase design did a decent job of handling our Ryzen 9 9950X, with the VRM peak temperature just topping 70°C, and only at the end of our 30 minute full-load stress test.

The bios is a little barebones, but that's nothing that particularly bothers me personally. You gain nothing performance wise from spending more, and feature wise it's ample for the majority of gaming builds. Future updates will refine the bios also, unless you desperately need more USB/m.2 slots etc for some reason there's zero point in being more out of pocket when they're available for around £120 currently.

 

[mark 11:11]

yeah my 9950x3d seems to be pulling the expected cinebench scores etc on the sapphire board [ok mines the pure b850a but i doubt its making a huge difference lol]
literally so far ive been nothing but impressed with this board so much so that im considering the x870a version they just released recently

 

[Craig_d1]

I had a little look the other day, so far there's been zero complaints of any sapphire board nuking a x3d cpu. Got to remember as well that sapphire is in charge of their own bios and sets their own paramaters, so even if it was asrock, doesn't mean it'll behave the same. I think the B850M nitro+ at £120 is the go to board atm for any budget/mid level build. I still plan on getting it for a build for my son at uni

yeah my 9950x3d seems to be pulling the expected cinebench scores etc on the sapphire board [ok mines the pure b850a but i doubt its making a huge difference lol]
literally so far ive been nothing but impressed with this board so much so that im considering the x870a version they just released recently

the pure is the same setup as the nitro+(12+2+1 55a vrm etc), rather than the pulse(7+2+1 60a) which has a hard limit 150w power draw for cpu on it (which is a shame as sure it could handle more)