PC Build advice

[Cryolyte]

Hi all, just looking for some advice/improvements for this build now that the new AMD stuff is out. The new AMD/DDR5 stuff seems to be quite a bit more costly compared to the last generation on DDR4 but hopefully, that comes with better performance and longevity. The alternative Intel DDR4 I was planning, with an i5 12600KF, was about £500 cheaper.

Budget: Around £3000 or so, can stretch if substantial gains can be had, but I need to factor in a screen so it would only be an extra few £100 at most.

Screen: Currently looking at the Gigabyte M34WQ 34 Inch IPS or something similar. Any recommendations appreciated since screens are expensive and I'd like to get as good a deal as possible.

Purpose: Mixture of games/editing/work. Lots of action RPGs like Warframe, Cyberpunk, Horizon Zero Dawn, Elden Ring, Assassin Creed etc. Also LoL, total war games. Editing is mainly light to moderate photoshop, usually large canvasses with many brushes, and sometimes premiere as well. Lots of multitasking with plenty of tabs, Microsoft Office files, analysis programs etc all open and working concurrently. Looking to max 1440p and maybe explore a bit of 4k in the future if possible. Would ideally like the build to last for a few years before upgrading again.

Also looking to try and be energy efficient where possible due to energy prices/environment etc, though I know that's not exactly easy.

Current build so far:-

Case
COOLERMASTER MASTERBOX MB540 ARGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X Six Core CPU (4.7GHz-5.3GHz/38MB CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME X670-P WIFI (DDR5, PCIe 5.0) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 5600MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 - HDMI, DP, LHR
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 7000MB/R, 5000MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair iCUE H150i ELITE CAPELLIX RGB Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Extra Case Fans
2x 120mm Black Case Fan
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 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001]
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™
Monitor Cables
1 x 2m DisplayPort Cable - DP (M) to DP (M)
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: £2,338.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/cfMZQXfr85/

I don't know if/when PCS will be updating their graphics card prices but I've also been considering buying an AORUS 3070 separately since it's actually quite a bit cheaper than just getting the default from PCS, and if I'm not mistaken the AORUS is one of the better of the 3070 variants (CMIIW). Though I would be pretty nervous about installing it myself in case I break something or void the warranty somehow. I also don't know if it provides a meaningful bump in performance over the default, but the clock speed seems quite a bit higher (on the other hand more power draw so...).

Final things: I recall seeing that these AMD processors can end up running quite hot. Is this an actual feature or bug? Can it be reduced comfortably and keep good performance? I put in a beefier cooler just in case but if it can be reduced then I'm happy to do so. Also, can these new processors make use of 5600 Hz RAM? It barely costs any more than the 5200 Hz so I'll keep probably keep it unless it's completely useless. Oh, and does anyone know when the X670-P releases?

Thanks, I appreciate any and all suggestions/comments!

 

[Cryolyte]

I take it that there's nothing egregiously wrong with the above then?

 

[Cryolyte]

Cool, great chat 👍

 

[JUNI0R]

Cool, great chat 👍

Heya, Sorry no one got back to you. Lots to cover, I'll go over all the questions raised then go over a spec

The new AMD/DDR5 stuff seems to be quite a bit more costly compared to the last generation on DDR4 but hopefully, that comes with better performance and longevity. The alternative Intel DDR4 I was planning, with an i5 12600KF, was about £500 cheaper.

You certainly can say prices have raised a lot recently. With the new DDR5 tech @ retail you're currently looking at about £200 for a decent kit of DDR5 RAM compared to £110 for a decent kit of DDR4, this will come down over time but could take a while. Board prices have also shot up, although we currently only have the higher end X670 chipset so the introduction of the more mid tier B650 boards later this month should help reduce another £100-150 off the price. AM4 has been great with long term upgradabilty, it lasted for 5 years compared to Intel's Tick Tock structure which requires a new platform every couple of generations/ 2 years.

The 12600K platform will certainly be cheaper, especially with DDR4 but they're also two different tier's of performance. In terms of upgradability, as above, it looks like Intel are sticking to their Tick Tock structure so only 13th gen (due out on the 20th so might be worth waiting for) will be suported by the current boards, especially for DDR4

Source

Also looking to try and be energy efficient where possible due to energy prices/environment etc, though I know that's not exactly easy.

I think generally the more mid tier AM5 stuff is oretty decent for power consumption. This is where it might be worth bringing in the 5800X3D which will be an absolte monster for gaming and as it's on a DDR4 platform will be substantially cheaper. Although for some of your multicore uses performance will be down a bit on the standard 5800X and a lot on the new 7600X and 7700X. The other factor is also the upgradability. The 5800X3D is also probably one of the last CPU's on that platform, if not the last, and from rumours it doesn't look like we'll see another high end chip.

I don't know if/when PCS will be updating their graphics card prices but I've also been considering buying an AORUS 3070 separately since it's actually quite a bit cheaper than just getting the default from PCS, and if I'm not mistaken the AORUS is one of the better of the 3070 variants

PCS has been slowly lowering their prices in line with the price reductions over the last year or so, so I don't think a sudden reduction will happen. Sourcing your own GPU to save some cash is certainly something you can do. PCS has made this handy guide on how to install a GPU, you're also more than welcome to ask for us for assistance.

Final things: I recall seeing that these AMD processors can end up running quite hot. Is this an actual feature or bug?

It's a feature- it effectively has the CPU run as fast as it can under load up until it reaches 95 degrees, then it'll then sit there to avoid thermal throttle

Also, can these new processors make use of 5600 Hz RAM? It barely costs any more than the 5200 Hz so I'll keep probably keep it unless it's completely useless.

Would 100% recommend going for 5600mhz over 5200mhz, especially at the price gap it's up there for

Source- Few other RAM benchmarks follow

Oh, and does anyone know when the X670-P releases?

I'm fairly certain I saw it in stock when the Ryzen 7000 released so I'd imagine it's currently on pre-order as they've got more orders than they have boards, instead of it not being released yet.

 

[JUNI0R]

Had to post in 2 parts-


Hope all that explanation has been useful and hasn't just gone straight over your head 😂 Now I'll discuss the actual build

Case
COOLERMASTER MASTERBOX TD500 MESH ARGB GAMING CASE Think this was the most "egregious" error, cases are super important for cooling and the MB540 isn't great for cooling. Swapped to a much better TD500, other options are the Lian Li 215, Corsair 4000D, 5000D, 5000X and Fractal Meshify 2 Compact, although as the name suggests for that one it's not that big so probably won't fit a big GPU and front mounted AIO
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X Six Core CPU (4.7GHz-5.3GHz/38MB CACHE/AM5) Kept with the 7600X but from what I've seen the 7700X seems like the CPU to go for from this gen if you're able to afford the extra £100 or so
Motherboard
GIGABYTE X670 GAMING X AX : ATX (WIFI 6E, USB 3.2 Gen 1, PCIe 5.0) - ARGB Ready! Prime board out of stock so swapped it for this gigabyte board
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 5600MHz (2 x 16GB) As above, well worth going for 5600mhz
Graphics Card
10GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3080 - HDMI, DP, LHR As you're looking at 1440p ultrawide, and the games you're wanting to play I'd personally want to aim for a 3080. If you were to source your own they're currently retailing from about £730
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2500MB/sW) Dropped down the speed of this 2nd drive, in terms of game loading times there isn't a huge difference between a SATA SSD and a super fancy Gen 4 NVME, so an easy place to make a saving
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W) Assume this would be your boot drive?
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMe SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET Would go for a 850W PSU, especially for the 3080. Although as you mentioning upgrades in the future it might be worth stretching to the 1000W as the future looks like it'll be power hungry!
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead, 1.0mm Core)
Processor Cooling
Corsair iCUE H100i ELITE CAPELLIX RGB Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler Swapped down to the H100i as I feel that'll be sufficent for the 7600X, although if you decide on the 7700X then I'd opt for the H150i again
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 [KUK-00003] A quick way to save £90 or so would be to provide your own Windows key from a pre-exisitng PC you won't use anymore
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™
Monitor Cables
1 x 2m DisplayPort Cable - DP (M) to DP (M) Shouldn't need this, the monitor should come with the required cables unless it's for a seperate monitor
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 4 to 6 working days
Price: £2,508.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/nwnMjpJanF/


And breathe out 😂

 

[Cryolyte]

Had to post in 2 parts-


Hope all that explanation has been useful and hasn't just gone straight over your head 😂 Now I'll discuss the actual build

Case
COOLERMASTER MASTERBOX TD500 MESH ARGB GAMING CASE Think this was the most "egregious" error, cases are super important for cooling and the MB540 isn't great for cooling. Swapped to a much better TD500, other options are the Lian Li 215, Corsair 4000D, 5000D, 5000X and Fractal Meshify 2 Compact, although as the name suggests for that one it's not that big so probably won't fit a big GPU and front mounted AIO
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X Six Core CPU (4.7GHz-5.3GHz/38MB CACHE/AM5) Kept with the 7600X but from what I've seen the 7700X seems like the CPU to go for from this gen if you're able to afford the extra £100 or so
Motherboard
GIGABYTE X670 GAMING X AX : ATX (WIFI 6E, USB 3.2 Gen 1, PCIe 5.0) - ARGB Ready! Prime board out of stock so swapped it for this gigabyte board
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 5600MHz (2 x 16GB) As above, well worth going for 5600mhz
Graphics Card
10GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3080 - HDMI, DP, LHR As you're looking at 1440p ultrawide, and the games you're wanting to play I'd personally want to aim for a 3080. If you were to source your own they're currently retailing from about £730
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2500MB/sW) Dropped down the speed of this 2nd drive, in terms of game loading times there isn't a huge difference between a SATA SSD and a super fancy Gen 4 NVME, so an easy place to make a saving
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W) Assume this would be your boot drive?
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMe SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET Would go for a 850W PSU, especially for the 3080. Although as you mentioning upgrades in the future it might be worth stretching to the 1000W as the future looks like it'll be power hungry!
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead, 1.0mm Core)
Processor Cooling
Corsair iCUE H100i ELITE CAPELLIX RGB Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler Swapped down to the H100i as I feel that'll be sufficent for the 7600X, although if you decide on the 7700X then I'd opt for the H150i again
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 [KUK-00003] A quick way to save £90 or so would be to provide your own Windows key from a pre-exisitng PC you won't use anymore
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™
Monitor Cables
1 x 2m DisplayPort Cable - DP (M) to DP (M) Shouldn't need this, the monitor should come with the required cables unless it's for a seperate monitor
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 4 to 6 working days
Price: £2,508.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/nwnMjpJanF/


And breathe out 😂

Thanks for all of this, JUNI0R. Extremely helpful. I'll take a look through it all and see if there's anything else I'm confused about. It's been a long time since I last stepped foot into PC building.

All the best!

 

[Cryolyte]

The 12600K platform will certainly be cheaper, especially with DDR4 but they're also two different tier's of performance. In terms of upgradability, as above, it looks like Intel are sticking to their Tick Tock structure so only 13th gen (due out on the 20th so might be worth waiting for) will be suported by the current boards, especially for DDR4

Ah ok, that was going to be one of my questions. I've been trying to decide between the 7600x and potentially the 13600KF when it comes out, but I'm not quite sure how to decide between them. I think AMD have said their compatibility should last until 2025, so there's that. But if I went with intel, I probably wouldn't be able to upgrade very easily in the future and would need a new motherboard. But if I'm not going to upgrade for 3-4 years, I guess it doesn't matter either way? My impression from trying to search about upgrading motherboards is that it's something that generally isn't done, and you just get a new build?

What's the general consensus on the trade-offs for the B650 motherboards vs the X motherboards? I'll admit that I tried reading some of the manufacturer stuff about the X boards and wasn't really understanding too much of the tech behind them.

I think generally the more mid tier AM5 stuff is oretty decent for power consumption.

Yea I actually saw that power consumption graph yesterday so I'm glad you mentioned it. I think GN doesn't seem too keen on the 7600x because of its cost-efficiency? It does run a little hotter than the i5 12600KF though there's no data for the 13600KF yet. The last big PC I owned didn't have a processor that required me to think about AIO cooling so I'm quite nervous about making sure it's done properly so I don't damage anything, and the whole 95 degrees temperature does feel a little scary even if it's by design.

In general I'm also not sure how to compare the AMD and Intel processors. Intel seems to have more cores/threads while AMD has higher individual clock speeds? But I don't know how that will affect the things I want to do.

PCS has been slowly lowering their prices in line with the price reductions over the last year or so, so I don't think a sudden reduction will happen. Sourcing your own GPU to save some cash is certainly something you can do. PCS has made this handy guide on how to install a GPU, you're also more than welcome to ask for us for assistance.

Amazing, thanks for the link. I think I'll see if I can wrangle a cheaper GPU off someone else then, and install it myself.

Would 100% recommend going for 5600mhz over 5200mhz, especially at the price gap it's up there for

Great! I also saw that the 6000 version has arrived, though it only seems to be in the AMD configurator and not the intel one? I'm guessing that's probably worth the small increase in price?

I'm fairly certain I saw it in stock when the Ryzen 7000 released so I'd imagine it's currently on pre-order as they've got more orders than they have boards, instead of it not being released yet.

Doh, that makes sense. Thanks for the correction!

For the build:

Case: I've been watching a lot of GN because of my worries over cooling and having a good case, and I've ended up falling in love with the Fractal Torrent because of their review. To the point where I'm happy to pay the premium for it because of how highly its airflow is rated (and its looks). Would this be a suitable case for this setup with the additional revisions? I'm mainly not sure how to factor in the radiator for the cooler, since in all the other cases I was playing around with I assumed they would have the AIO radiator installed in the top of the case, but that isn't possible on the torrent. I'm guessing that it could just be installed in the front, in this instance? Would that disrupt the original case fans at all?

CPU: Based on GN's review, if it's worth going for the 7700x then I would be willing to stretch a little for it. But I don't know whether it's worth waiting for Raptor Lake to show its face first.

Motherboard: Makes sense. Is there any meaningful distinction between these motherboards or is that kind of thing more for enthusiasts to decide between?

GPU: Thanks for the advice, wasn't quite sure on whether or not the 3070 would be sufficient, and the 3070 ti doesn't seem like much of an increase in power for its price, to be honest. 3080 should be doable, especially sourcing it myself.

Power supply + cooler: I might just go for that 1000W as you suggest, maybe upgrade graphics cards in a couple of years or so. For the cooler, I had a look at the AMD website and saw that they recommend the H115i. Do you think this would still be ok for the 7700x?

Final thing, for the Windows licence, I have a laptop currently with Windows 10. If I did move the licence over to the new PC, how would that affect the laptop? Would I still be able to use it? I'll likely switch most of my activities over to the new PC but I'd like to keep the laptop as a backup for working etc or if something goes wrong, if possible.

Again, thanks for all the help and advice for all of this. As you can probably tell, I really am not very sure about most of this and I really don't want to mess something up for a 2-3k build haha.

 

[JUNI0R]

Ah ok, that was going to be one of my questions. I've been trying to decide between the 7600x and potentially the 13600KF when it comes out, but I'm not quite sure how to decide between them. I think AMD have said their compatibility should last until 2025, so there's that. But if I went with intel, I probably wouldn't be able to upgrade very easily in the future and would need a new motherboard. But if I'm not going to upgrade for 3-4 years, I guess it doesn't matter either way? My impression from trying to search about upgrading motherboards is that it's something that generally isn't done, and you just get a new build?

I think you've pretty much got it bang on there. If you're not in a rush to buy then it's probably worth waiting to see what Intel comes out with, although as you seem very up for actively upgrading I think AM5 is probably the route you'll end up with. Not to mention we should recieve B650 this month while we're waiting for 13th gen so that'll help reduce the cost too. As you say, with intel I reckon you're almost gauranteed to need a new motherboard unless the change you make is 13600K to 13900K, where as with AM5, it seems like you'll be able to use the same board in 5 years time which makes said upgrade significantly easier. In terms of upgrading, I guess it depends on how happy you are to pull the build apart. Replacing a motherboard is about as close you can get to open heart surgery for a PC so I think a lot of people do just get new PC's when it comes to that. However it does happen, I'll be doing that with my build later this year once I've decided what pick between AM5 and 13th gen.

Yea I actually saw that power consumption graph yesterday so I'm glad you mentioned it. I think GN doesn't seem too keen on the 7600x because of its cost-efficiency?

Always love a good GN video! I think his point was really about the fact that AMD's main gaming tier in the Ryzen 5 is just too expensive, you're getting top end performance but you're paying top end prices, which just shouldn't be the case for a Ryzen 5. Hopefully costs reduce as DDR5 becomes more common and easier to make.

It does run a little hotter than the i5 12600KF though there's no data for the 13600KF yet

13600K looks like it'll have another 4 efficency cores and some higher clocks which will probably bring up the cooling requirements another notch.

The last big PC I owned didn't have a processor that required me to think about AIO cooling so I'm quite nervous about making sure it's done properly so I don't damage anything, and the whole 95 degrees temperature does feel a little scary even if it's by design.

AIO's are pretty damn bulletproof these days, especially a well regarded unit like the Capellix you have in this spec. They're filled and sealed from factory so there's not much "making sure it's done properly" I don't think. And yeah, that's one of the negatives of this 95 degree behaviour, I think it'll catch a lot of people out.

In general I'm also not sure how to compare the AMD and Intel processors. Intel seems to have more cores/threads while AMD has higher individual clock speeds? But I don't know how that will affect the things I want to do.

It's difficult to actually compare them aside from look at performance graph and what it actually gives you. When it comes to gaming, single core is important so high clocks (1 core at 4Ghz would be much better than 4 cores at 1GHz) as well as L3 cache (which is why the 5800X3D is such a monster) when it comes to video editing/ rendering etc then it's pretty much the more cores the better.

Great! I also saw that the 6000 version has arrived, though it only seems to be in the AMD configurator and not the intel one? I'm guessing that's probably worth the small increase in price?

I'd check the source I sent RE RAM speed and decide for yourself. One thing worth noting is I believe the 6000mhz RAM won't actually be in until the end of October anyway (although not a massive issue if you decide to wait for B650 and 13th gen). At the moment, I'm currently saying that 5600mhz is the sweetspot between price and performance, although I don't keep alll that up to date with DDR5 RAM prices as someone who doesn't tend to recommend it)

Case: I've been watching a lot of GN because of my worries over cooling and having a good case, and I've ended up falling in love with the Fractal Torrent because of their review. To the point where I'm happy to pay the premium for it because of how highly its airflow is rated (and its looks). Would this be a suitable case for this setup with the additional revisions? I'm mainly not sure how to factor in the radiator for the cooler, since in all the other cases I was playing around with I assumed they would have the AIO radiator installed in the top of the case, but that isn't possible on the torrent. I'm guessing that it could just be installed in the front, in this instance? Would that disrupt the original case fans at all?

I don't blame you! I've heard really solid things about it (mostly from that review 😂 ). In terms of AIO, I'd imagine they'd remove the front fans and put a H150i there, as I believe they say you don't want the rad to be at the bottom (and therefore the pump at the higest where all the air collects). I've found a picture online as to what I believe it'd look like, still think it looks pretty good!

Motherboard: Makes sense. Is there any meaningful distinction between these motherboards or is that kind of thing more for enthusiasts to decide between?

There are all differences between them, although I haven't kept that up to date on AM5 boards so I couldn't tell you what they are. Going on historical info, Prime tends to be ASUS entry level option so can sometimes lack features compared to the Gaming X which I believe tends to be a more mid tier brand. (TUF being mid tier for ASUS and UD/ DS3H being entry level for gigabyte). It's also currently in stock, hence the choice 😂

Power supply + cooler: I might just go for that 1000W as you suggest, maybe upgrade graphics cards in a couple of years or so. For the cooler, I had a look at the AMD website and saw that they recommend the H115i. Do you think this would still be ok for the 7700x?

If they recommend it then I'm sure it'd be fine, however for the slight increase in cost I think I'd go for the H150i, should be fairly similar performance to the H115i but aesthetically it'll look far better than the H115i which might just look a bit small in the front of the torrent.

Final thing, for the Windows licence, I have a laptop currently with Windows 10. If I did move the licence over to the new PC, how would that affect the laptop? Would I still be able to use it? I'll likely switch most of my activities over to the new PC but I'd like to keep the laptop as a backup for working etc or if something goes wrong, if possible.

Windows is still functional without an attached key, however unsurprisingly it's not something that MSFT massively like you doing will be the line I take on that 🤐

Again, thanks for all the help and advice for all of this. As you can probably tell, I really am not very sure about most of this and I really don't want to mess something up for a 2-3k build haha.

All good! More than happy to help! And totally understandable, I'm glad we were able to catch the thread!

 

[Cryolyte]

Always love a good GN video! I think his point was really about the fact that AMD's main gaming tier in the Ryzen 5 is just too expensive, you're getting top end performance but you're paying top end prices, which just shouldn't be the case for a Ryzen 5. Hopefully costs reduce as DDR5 becomes more common and easier to make.


13600K looks like it'll have another 4 efficency cores and some higher clocks which will probably bring up the cooling requirements another notch.

Ah ok, so maybe it will end up running as hot as the Ryzen anyway.

AIO's are pretty damn bulletproof these days, especially a well regarded unit like the Capellix you have in this spec. They're filled and sealed from factory so there's not much "making sure it's done properly" I don't think. And yeah, that's one of the negatives of this 95 degree behaviour, I think it'll catch a lot of people out.


It's difficult to actually compare them aside from look at performance graph and what it actually gives you. When it comes to gaming, single core is important so high clocks (1 core at 4Ghz would be much better than 4 cores at 1GHz) as well as L3 cache (which is why the 5800X3D is such a monster) when it comes to video editing/ rendering etc then it's pretty much the more cores the better.

Yea maybe I should just wait until Raptor comes out and do a quick comparison. If there's not too much difference then I guess I'll stick with AMD.

I'd check the source I sent RE RAM speed and decide for yourself. One thing worth noting is I believe the 6000mhz RAM won't actually be in until the end of October anyway (although not a massive issue if you decide to wait for B650 and 13th gen). At the moment, I'm currently saying that 5600mhz is the sweetspot between price and performance, although I don't keep alll that up to date with DDR5 RAM prices as someone who doesn't tend to recommend it)

Will do! Perhaps the prices will come down a little more during the wait, though since we're slowly approaching Christmas maybe the opposite will be true...

Do you know if PCS ever changes configurator prices for Black Friday at all? Or is that mainly for pre-builts?

I don't blame you! I've heard really solid things about it (mostly from that review 😂 ). In terms of AIO, I'd imagine they'd remove the front fans and put a H150i there, as I believe they say you don't want the rad to be at the bottom (and therefore the pump at the higest where all the air collects). I've found a picture online as to what I believe it'd look like, still think it looks pretty good!

View attachment 34865

Oh I see. That does look really nice. I remember hearing from GN that you could install the radiator in a push-pull configuration with existing fans or something (maybe I've totally misunderstood it). Do you happen to know what that is and if it's workable or advisable in this case? Part of me thinks it would be a shame to lose the massive fans at the front of the case since they make the airflow really good, but if installing the radiator there instead of the fans doesn't diminish it too much it hopefully won't be too big of a deal.

If they recommend it then I'm sure it'd be fine, however for the slight increase in cost I think I'd go for the H150i, should be fairly similar performance to the H115i but aesthetically it'll look far better than the H115i which might just look a bit small in the front of the torrent.

Yea with the image you've posted here I definitely agree, the triple fan looks a lot better than 2 little fans would.

Windows is still functional without an attached key, however unsurprisingly it's not something that MSFT massively like you doing will be the line I take on that 🤐

Ok, thank you. I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't doing something that would get me in a lot of trouble for it or make the laptop completely unuseable.

All good! More than happy to help! And totally understandable, I'm glad we were able to catch the thread!

Thanks again for all the advice. I'm slowly getting there haha. Just gotta wait another couple of weeks to see how things pan out.

But then it's close to the new AMD GPUs... damn, it always feels like you're waiting just a little longer until the next release to try and make an optimal decision!

 

[JUNI0R]

Will do! Perhaps the prices will come down a little more during the wait, though since we're slowly approaching Christmas maybe the opposite will be true...

Do you know if PCS ever changes configurator prices for Black Friday at all? Or is that mainly for pre-builts?

The last time we had one of these sale periods, I believe PCS had large discounts on a couple of set specs then had a £50 off voucher for a couple of days, can't remember the exact event though 🙃 I'd imagine it'd be similar to that for BF

Oh I see. That does look really nice. I remember hearing from GN that you could install the radiator in a push-pull configuration with existing fans or something (maybe I've totally misunderstood it). Do you happen to know what that is and if it's workable or advisable in this case? Part of me thinks it would be a shame to lose the massive fans at the front of the case since they make the airflow really good, but if installing the radiator there instead of the fans doesn't diminish it too much it hopefully won't be too big of a deal.

Due to the size of the front fans I don't believe you would be able to have both the AIO and the front fans, think it could also look a little odd imo

But then it's close to the new AMD GPUs... damn, it always feels like you're waiting just a little longer until the next release to try and make an optimal decision!

This is the problem with all these new releases, if you're waiting for the next one, you'll never buy!

Worth noting that the AMD uses rougly the same structure as NVIDA so the first card they release will be the 7900XT, which unless AMD goes REALLY agressive with pricing, will likely be double the price if not more of a 3080 at the moment. The next card we might see in your rough price range will likely be the 4070 which I'd imagine will be released in December.

 

[SpyderTracks]

which unless AMD goes REALLY agressive with pricing, will likely be double the price if not more of a 3080 at the moment.

This would be very unusual.

The 6900xt launched at $999, I don’t see the 7900xt being over $1200

And according to leaks, they will be releasing the full stack from budget to premium all within the first month perhaps

AMD RDNA 3 (Radeon RX 7000 Series): Release date, price and specs

The AMD RDNA 3 is the next generation of GPU architecture from AMD, and will be used in the Radeon RX 7000 Series.

www.trustedreviews.com

 

[JUNI0R]

they will be releasing the full stack from budget to premium all within the first month perhaps

That's an.... interesting strategy. Surely they'd be better off to stretch them out like they both did for last gen?? Although I guess it gives them a headstart on NVIDIA for a tonne of price categories

 

[JUNI0R]

What's the general consensus on the trade-offs for the B650 motherboards vs the X motherboards?

Thought I'd return to this point as I'm watching the MSI reveal of the B650 boards and they've just flashed this screen up.

Aside from the below, the main changes will be less IO (the ports on the rear of the motherboard) and weaker VRM (the bit that controls where the power goes). They're the only ones I can think of off the top of my head

 

[SpyderTracks]

That's an.... interesting strategy. Surely they'd be better off to stretch them out like they both did for last gen?? Although I guess it gives them a headstart on NVIDIA for a tonne of price categories

Yeah, I was quite surprised they'd release the full stack straight away.

Normally it would be from the 6900xt down to the 6700XT then the others about 6 months later.

 

[Cryolyte]

Due to the size of the front fans I don't believe you would be able to have both the AIO and the front fans, think it could also look a little odd imo

Hmm, okay. I think I saw someone that had basically swapped the 140mm fans and the 180mm fans around so that they had the three 140mm fans on the front in a push/pull with the radiator, while the 180mm fans were placed on the bottom to still get the powerful airflow. I guess that might look a bit less odd? But I don't know enough about radiators and airflow to decide whether that's a good idea, or whether PCS would even be willing to assemble the whole thing like that in the first place.

This is the problem with all these new releases, if you're waiting for the next one, you'll never buy!

Worth noting that the AMD uses rougly the same structure as NVIDA so the first card they release will be the 7900XT, which unless AMD goes REALLY agressive with pricing, will likely be double the price if not more of a 3080 at the moment. The next card we might see in your rough price range will likely be the 4070 which I'd imagine will be released in December.

Yea I originally started planning this in early August haha. But then I found out about the new AMD stuff. Then it was Nvidia's GPUs. Then it was intel CPUs and AMD GPUs, along with the dropping prices of previous gen GPUs etc. But after these next announcements I'm definitely going to commit to a build!

I hope...

 

[Cryolyte]

Thought I'd return to this point as I'm watching the MSI reveal of the B650 boards and they've just flashed this screen up.

Aside from the below, the main changes will be less IO (the ports on the rear of the motherboard) and weaker VRM (the bit that controls where the power goes). They're the only ones I can think of off the top of my head

Thanks! From reading around a bit it seems like the additional PCIe 5.0 slot on the 'E' motherboards don't seem too important right now? I'm not really sure about the VRM stuff though. I guess just comparing the boards against each other might be the best bet.

Thanks again!

 

[SpyderTracks]

Thanks! From reading around a bit it seems like the additional PCIe 5.0 slot on the 'E' motherboards don't seem too important right now? I'm not really sure about the VRM stuff though. I guess just comparing the boards against each other might be the best bet.

Thanks again!

3rd party reviewers will do comparisons, the ones to watch out for are Buildzoid aka "Actually Hardcore Overclocking" or Gamers Nexus, or Hardware Unboxed really.

PCIe Gen 5 is only going to be beneficial for SSD's, but currently there are very few on the market, and PCIe5 is still blisteringly fast at the high end (Samsung Evo 980 Pro)

The VRM's on X670 are so overproduced which is good as they're obviously taking into account future CPU generations, unlike with the B450 boards where they skrimped out a lot more and it was only just compatible with the upgraded power requirements. But it does likely mean that upcoming B650 boards are still going to be extremely strong on the VRM design.

 

[Cryolyte]

3rd party reviewers will do comparisons, the ones to watch out for are Buildzoid aka "Actually Hardcore Overclocking" or Gamers Nexus, or Hardware Unboxed really.

Thanks for the advice. I'll keep an eye out for their videos and hopefully, I'll be able to understand the differences between the boards haha.

PCIe Gen 5 is only going to be beneficial for SSD's, but currently there are very few on the market, and PCIe5 is still blisteringly fast at the high end (Samsung Evo 980 Pro)

So does this basically mean that the additional slots for the PCIe5 support aren't that important? I remember seeing something about the switch from gen 3 to gen 4 not making too much of a difference for gaming, at least, but I don't know if that means that the same thing will happen with this switch.

 

[SpyderTracks]

So does this basically mean that the additional slots for the PCIe5 support aren't that important? I remember seeing something about the switch from gen 3 to gen 4 not making too much of a difference for gaming, at least, but I don't know if that means that the same thing will happen with this switch.

Sorry, what I meant to say was PCIe 4 SSDs are already incredibly fast.

PCIe 5 SSDs will be nice but it will take a few years for anything to make do of those speeds really. PCIe 4 SSDs are plenty fast imho.

 

[JUNI0R]

Sorry, what I meant to say was PCIe 4 SSDs are already incredibly fast.

PCIe 5 SSDs will be nice but it will take a few years for anything to make do of those speeds really. PCIe 4 SSDs are plenty fast imho.

Not to mention that you'll have to remortgage your house to afford one 😂 they're PRICEY when they first come out.

I remember going from SATA SSD to NVME Gen 3 SSD and that being more than enough for me, although some really decently priced Gen 4 drives are appearing about the place