Please help me build a new, modern Gaming PC with these components:

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3 Dec 2012
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181
Hi all,

TLDR version:

Please help me build a new PC using an existing 3070 RTX, ideally in a NZXT H710I case, playing at 3440x1440 on an Alienware AW3420DW. Money not really an issue, but within reason - preference is value for money rather than min/maxing.


Long version:

Some of you may have seen a burst of "activity" from on here... to those who have, apologies for the recent "spam" in some of the threads and even creating my own :)

I have been living under a rock for the last 4-5 years to some degree and have come to the realisation that I should seriously consider upgrading my nearly 5 year old system.
What's important to note is that there are a few components that are "fixed" and that I would like the PC to built around, to maximize the potential of these components.

First and foremost, I just acquired a "Gigabyte RTX 3070 Vision OC" and an Alienware AW3420DW monitor, so the resolution I game at is 3440x1440.

One component I do not have yet, but would definitely want to have incorporated (unless there are serious reasons not to) is the NZXT H710I case - white, since I am a sucker for the white and black combo and the Vision OC is also white. :)

Whilst I used to always go with Intel CPUs, I understand that the AMD Ryzen appear to be the better choice these days and that's where my questions start:

  1. Is it worth getting the Ryzen 9 5950x over the Ryzen 9 3950x ? Or is the
    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X perhaps a wiser choice?

    Or which Ryzen would generally be regarded as THE best value for money option?
  2. Which Motherboard would be the best value for money option for the CPU? ASUS ROG Strix X570-E?

  3. I assume these days I should go for 32GB of Ram, which type is the "go to" option?

  4. The whole NVMe tech is totally new to me, so which SSD would you guys recommend, that is also big enough to store most of my games? Do people usually still have 1 SSD for Windows and then one for games?

  5. Not a fan of liquid coolers at all - unfortunately liquid cooler system in my current PC which I had built by Overclockers had a pump failure and I replaced the cooler with a Scythe Ninja. Unless there was serious progress in Liquid cooling solutions (All in ones ideally) I am a bit put off by them but happy to be educated here!

  6. PSU - no idea what the current go-to PSU would be and how many Watts are recommended?

  7. Probably goes without saying but I like it QUIET! :)

I would like to say "money is not really an issue" but within reason, i.e. I don't want to/need to spent the maximum amount of money just to get 1% more performance for example. I am happy to go with Premium options but value for money should be considered.


Thank you so much in advance!
 
Soldato
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Really it makes no difference if you go ryzen or Intel for gaming at anything over 1080p and even then the margins are small.

If all you do is game then the most sensible options would be either a ryzen 5600X or a 10700K.

Again with motherboards if you only game a B550 or Z490 around the £150 price mark is all you need to spend.

Ram speed will make very little difference at 3440/1440 so bang for your buck would be 32gb of 3200/16

The sabrent rocket is a solid option for an nvme but make sure it's not the Q version, if you wanted to keep Windows separate you could go with a smaller nvme for that and a then a larger 2tb nvme game drive.

I'd go for a minimum of 750w gold psu preferably with a 7-10 year warranty so you know it's a good unit.
 
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Really it makes no difference if you go ryzen or Intel for gaming at anything over 1080p and even then the margins are small.

If all you do is game then the most sensible options would be either a ryzen 5600X or a 10700K.

Again with motherboards if you only game a B550 or Z490 around the £150 price mark is all you need to spend.

Ram speed will make very little difference at 3440/1440 so bang for your buck would be 32gb of 3200/16

The sabrent rocket is a solid option for an nvme but make sure it's not the Q version, if you wanted to keep Windows separate you could go with a smaller nvme for that and a then a larger 2tb nvme game drive.

I'd go for a minimum of 750w gold psu preferably with a 7-10 year warranty so you know it's a good unit.
What type of games will you be playing on the system, will you be doing any coding etc?
I would go with what is suggested here, it's personal preference unless you want to " future proof" to a degree, or have an easier upgrade path later..
If you're just gaming then there's no need to hit top end on the cpus, as you will be paying for performance you really won't be using.
I would also recommend a dedicated nvme, or m.2 drive for Windows and a couple of 2tb drives for everything else. It's worth reading up and checking up on nvme/ssd drives and the motherboard you choose, as some won't work properly if sata lanes are populated. I found this out the hard way after doing my first nvme install this year.
Aio's have come a long way in performance, but there's still issues with reliability in some brands.
There's a slew of information on youtube from Gamers Nexus that you will find handy.
I'd opt for an 850W psu, but that's because I'm a firm believer in having headroom and not taxing psus, so you get a quieter experience and the freedom to indulge in overclocking later if you want to.
One piece of advice, is if you're looking for rgb,etc try and get as much of it from the same brand, and save yourself a nightmare later with software configuration.
 
Associate
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I'd add to what Joxeon said. Basically your requirements are identical to mine. Here's what I decided to go with:

£300 Ryzen 5600x
£120 B550 motherboard - ASRock Pro4 ATX AM4 (because I'm not going to overclock and don't need fancy features)
£70 Crucial Ballistix RAM (2x8GB, 3600Mhz CL16. Fast, simple RAM)
£125 Samsung 970 EVO 1TB SSD (these NVME drives are pretty cheap now, worth going for)
£80 Corsair 650W ATX PSU 80+ Gold (650W is fine for a 3070 and a 5600x. I'd go gold rated because they tend to run cooler, quieter and are more power efficient)
£25 on 2x BeQuiet Pure Wings 2 fans (worth spending an extra buck for these quiet fans in the long run)

For this build normal air cooling will be just fine. If you want to overclock you need a liquid cooler, a x570 motherboard and a 750W power supply. It just isn't worth it with this type of build IMO.
 
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OP
Joined
3 Dec 2012
Posts
181
Thanks all!

Thoughts on the ASUS Prime X570 P AM4 AMD X570 board? I am a sucker for the white/black combo. Or is the B550 the better chip? I am not sure what the differences are between X570 and B550?
 
Soldato
Joined
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Posts
11,656
Location
Uk
Thanks all!

Thoughts on the ASUS Prime X570 P AM4 AMD X570 board? I am a sucker for the white/black combo. Or is the B550 the better chip? I am not sure what the differences are between X570 and B550?
The main difference is B550 has PCIe gen 4.0 from the CPU while gen 3.0 from the chipset whereas x570 has gen 4.0 from both the CPU and chipset.
 
Associate
OP
Joined
3 Dec 2012
Posts
181
Thanks mate! With regards to coolers then, is Liquid Cooling ok these days? I'd really hate to have another pump failure but I have to say I LOVE the looks of the KRAKEN X53 AIO.

71KweETBdGL._AC_SL1500_.jpg


Is that one reliable?

What type of games will you be playing on the system, will you be doing any coding etc?
I would go with what is suggested here, it's personal preference unless you want to " future proof" to a degree, or have an easier upgrade path later..
If you're just gaming then there's no need to hit top end on the cpus, as you will be paying for performance you really won't be using.
I would also recommend a dedicated nvme, or m.2 drive for Windows and a couple of 2tb drives for everything else. It's worth reading up and checking up on nvme/ssd drives and the motherboard you choose, as some won't work properly if sata lanes are populated. I found this out the hard way after doing my first nvme install this year.
Aio's have come a long way in performance, but there's still issues with reliability in some brands.
There's a slew of information on youtube from Gamers Nexus that you will find handy.
I'd opt for an 850W psu, but that's because I'm a firm believer in having headroom and not taxing psus, so you get a quieter experience and the freedom to indulge in overclocking later if you want to.
One piece of advice, is if you're looking for rgb,etc try and get as much of it from the same brand, and save yourself a nightmare later with software configuration.

So I usually play mainly MMOs i.e. WoW, ESO, SWTOR and the new ones coming out like Ashes of Creation.

But I also got Cyberpunk 2077, loved playing the Witcher 3 - so open world games.
 
Associate
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You're the same as me for game choice, online, mmorpgs no need for crazy fps/twitch shooters.
6/8 cores will see you fine. Only issue I have is running out of storage space for all the addons and patches..
At 1440p a 10700k or a 5600x will keep you gaming for a long time.
Resist the urge to overspend for what you need.
Have a look at the Bequiet/Arctic/Lian Li Aios too though an Nzxt aio in an Nzxt case would look nice, I'd maybe suggest https://www.overclockers.co.uk/nzxt-kraken-x63-aio-cpu-water-cooler-280mm-hs-01k-nx.html
 
Associate
OP
Joined
3 Dec 2012
Posts
181
You're the same as me for game choice, online, mmorpgs no need for crazy fps/twitch shooters.
6/8 cores will see you fine. Only issue I have is running out of storage space for all the addons and patches..
At 1440p a 10700k or a 5600x will keep you gaming for a long time.
Resist the urge to overspend for what you need.
Have a look at the Bequiet/Arctic/Lian Li Aios too though an Nzxt aio in an Nzxt case would look nice, I'd maybe suggest https://www.overclockers.co.uk/nzxt-kraken-x63-aio-cpu-water-cooler-280mm-hs-01k-nx.html

Thanks mate. It is really hard to resist the urge haha. Part of me is thinking "just get the 5900x" ! :)

So I'd like one really fast "boot" SSD for Windows etc. - I reckon 1 TB will be good. And then another bigger one for the games and storage. My current "Game/Storage" disk is a 4TB and I still have around 1TB free despite having a ton of games installed.
 
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