Spec check for 1440p @144Hz gaming + music production

[jergil]

For quiet high-ish spec gaming + hobbyist music production​

Already have the GPU:
ASUS - GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER OC Edition 12 GB TUF GAMING Graphics Card

And monitor:
LG UltraGear 27GN88A

I'm mostly wondering about upgrading to the Strix for audio quality and what air cooler to go for. Is it worth installing something like a peerless assassin 120 myself?

More headroom for PSU?

Extra fans?

+/- 15% budget-wise

Thanks!

Case
FRACTAL DEFINE 7 BLACK QUIET MID-TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X Six Core CPU (4.7GHz-5.3GHz/38MB CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING X670E-PLUS WIFI (AM5, DDR5, PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 6E)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB DDR5 6000MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
NONE, I ALREADY HAVE A GRAPHICS CARD
Graphics Card Support Bracket
NONE (BRACKET INCLUDED AS STANDARD ON 4070 Ti / RX 7700 XT AND ABOVE)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB SOLIDIGM P41+ GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR, 1625MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 6500MB/sW)
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 100 V3 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
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
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
Firefox™
Surge Protection
6 Socket 2m Surge Protector
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: £1,264.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/JvsH!0g882/

​

 

[jergil]

Missclick on the1st SSD. Should have been a 512GB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO

 

[FigmentOfYourImagination]

First thing to say is that I am not a music person so it will need someone with excellent audio knowledge which would be @SpyderTracks so hopefully they have time to pop in and offer advice, especially on the motherboard front

This goes slightly over-budget but I think it's worth it to get in the 7800x3D which is the best gaming CPU on the market currently:

Case
FRACTAL DEFINE 7 BLACK QUIET MID-TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D Eight Core CPU (4.2GHz-5.0GHz/104MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5) - As mentioned, the best currently
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING X670E-PLUS WIFI (AM5, DDR5, PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 6E)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB DDR5 6000MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
NONE, I ALREADY HAVE A GRAPHICS CARD
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) - You want your Windows drive to be the fastest drive
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SOLIDIGM P41+ GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 4125MB/sR, 3325MB/sW) - Slower speed but is fine for games and, I imagine, for music things as well
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1000W RMx SERIES™ - MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET - Gives more headroom for future upgrades to GPU
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead, 1.0mm Core)
Processor Cooling
CORSAIR iCUE H115i ELITE CAPELLIX XT RGB High Performance CPU Cooler - In my opinion, putting everything into a quiet case really needs an AOI to keep the CPU cool. The D7 is an excellent case but it still has limitations when it comes to cooling.
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
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
Firefox™
Surge Protection
6 Socket 2m Surge Protector
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: £1,560.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/nxg2p8Ne85/

 

[jergil]

First thing to say is that I am not a music person so it will need someone with excellent audio knowledge which would be @SpyderTracks so hopefully they have time to pop in and offer advice, especially on the motherboard front

This goes slightly over-budget but I think it's worth it to get in the 7800x3D which is the best gaming CPU on the market currently:

Case
FRACTAL DEFINE 7 BLACK QUIET MID-TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D Eight Core CPU (4.2GHz-5.0GHz/104MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5) - As mentioned, the best currently
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING X670E-PLUS WIFI (AM5, DDR5, PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 6E)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB DDR5 6000MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
NONE, I ALREADY HAVE A GRAPHICS CARD
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) - You want your Windows drive to be the fastest drive
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SOLIDIGM P41+ GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 4125MB/sR, 3325MB/sW) - Slower speed but is fine for games and, I imagine, for music things as well
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1000W RMx SERIES™ - MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET - Gives more headroom for future upgrades to GPU
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead, 1.0mm Core)
Processor Cooling
CORSAIR iCUE H115i ELITE CAPELLIX XT RGB High Performance CPU Cooler - In my opinion, putting everything into a quiet case really needs an AOI to keep the CPU cool. The D7 is an excellent case but it still has limitations when it comes to cooling.
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
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
Firefox™
Surge Protection
6 Socket 2m Surge Protector
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: £1,560.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/nxg2p8Ne85/

Thanks very much for this (my wallet is glaring at you silently), I will definitely make those SSD changes and am open to your other suggestions but...

I suppose I'm a bit leery of liquids anywhere near electronics and am willing to accept some low level fan noise and to compromise a bit on high performance impact graphical settings like shadows and lighting. So I like the R5 7600x for it's price point and lower running temp.

With that in mind, would you change much in the original build other than the SSDs?

Also I forgot to mention that don't care at all about RGB or aesthetics.

Still am very tempted by your suggested build, but I have to at least consider some compromises or my wife might murder me.

 

[SpyderTracks]

I suppose I'm a bit leery of liquids anywhere near electronics and am willing to accept some low level fan noise and to compromise a bit on high performance impact graphical settings like shadows and lighting

It’s not a conductive liquid, it’s a non conductive coolant, so wouldn’t cause any damage if it did leak, but leaks just don’t happen anymore for a good 10 years or so.

If you’re not looking for that level of performance then it would make far more sense to drop down to a lower tier cpu that could be cooled under air like the 7700.

I wouldn’t suggest that at all, you’re willingly handicapping the system for no need, but there’s no point getting a cpu that’s thermal throttling due to insufficient cooling

 

[FigmentOfYourImagination]

The problem with PCS is that they offer no air coolers beyond the PCS branded ones and they are generic coolers badged as PCS (no clue who actually makes them). Personally, I wouldn't put one in my system but I prefer reliability and it be a known product over cost.

However, assuming the lower CPU, air cooler, removing the uneeded RGB from the RAM (didn't even consider that RGB would be wasted in that case):

Case
FRACTAL DEFINE 7 BLACK QUIET MID-TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 7700 Eight Core CPU (3.8GHz-5.3GHz/40MB CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING X670E-PLUS WIFI (AM5, DDR5, PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 6E)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 6000MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
NONE, I ALREADY HAVE A GRAPHICS CARD
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)
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
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
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
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
Firefox™
Surge Protection
6 Socket 2m Surge Protector
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: £1,336.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/HqMkUprBSR/


If you went for the Strix motherboard, that would bring it to £1380 but still unsure if it's warranted for your level of music related things.

 

[jergil]

It’s not a conductive liquid, it’s a non conductive coolant, so wouldn’t cause any damage if it did leak, but leaks just don’t happen anymore for a good 10 years or so.

If you’re not looking for that level of performance then it would make far more sense to drop down to a lower tier cpu that could be cooled under air like the 7700.

I wouldn’t suggest that at all, you’re willingly handicapping the system for no need, but there’s no point getting a cpu that’s thermal throttling due to insufficient cooling

The problem with PCS is that they offer no air coolers beyond the PCS branded ones and they are generic coolers badged as PCS (no clue who actually makes them). Personally, I wouldn't put one in my system but I prefer reliability and it be a known product over cost.

However, assuming the lower CPU, air cooler, removing the uneeded RGB from the RAM (didn't even consider that RGB would be wasted in that case):

Case
FRACTAL DEFINE 7 BLACK QUIET MID-TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 7700 Eight Core CPU (3.8GHz-5.3GHz/40MB CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING X670E-PLUS WIFI (AM5, DDR5, PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 6E)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 6000MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
NONE, I ALREADY HAVE A GRAPHICS CARD
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)
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
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
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
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
Firefox™
Surge Protection
6 Socket 2m Surge Protector
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: £1,336.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/HqMkUprBSR/


If you went for the Strix motherboard, that would bring it to £1380 but still unsure if it's warranted for your level of music related things.

Alright, you've convinced me. I hope PCS throws you the occasional freebie!

I will go with your first build and stick with the TUF MB unless Spyder says otherwise.

Thanks again!

 

[Scott]

The Strix has improved latency reduction over the other offerings. If latency is a concern with your inputs for audio production then it's worth considering the extra.

All other advice is also bob on. You want an AIO with the define, the H115i is the quietest and also brings airflow throughout the case.

 

[jergil]

The Strix has improved latency reduction over the other offerings. If latency is a concern with your inputs for audio production then it's worth considering the extra.

All other advice is also bob on. You want an AIO with the define, the H115i is the quietest and also brings airflow throughout the case.

Thanks Scott. At this point +£44 isn't gonna get me in any more trouble with the wife so I may as well... wish me luck!

 

[Scott]

It's always the way of it unfortunately. Prices have skyrocketed in recent years.

If it helps, the system is high-ish end like you had hoped and it will last many, many years. It's designed for upgrading so you can chop and change the GPU over the years without replacing the system. In honesty, it's the best financial way to go.

 

[superconfirm]

For audio work I'd 100% recommend using an external USB interface. I've always gone for the Behringer UMC models as they have quality Midas input pre-amps, up to 24-bit quality, up 20 192KHz processing, phantom power, low noise floor and pretty affordable.

Low cost option - https://amzn.eu/d/3dDgccK

Better quality - https://amzn.eu/d/11WvWZF

More channels - https://amzn.eu/d/6TwLvDN

 

[jergil]

For audio work I'd 100% recommend using an external USB interface. I've always gone for the Behringer UMC models as they have quality Midas input pre-amps, up to 24-bit quality, up 20 192KHz processing, phantom power, low noise floor and pretty affordable.

Low cost option - https://amzn.eu/d/3dDgccK

Better quality - https://amzn.eu/d/11WvWZF

More channels - https://amzn.eu/d/6TwLvDN

Thanks @superconfirm, I have a very old Mbox2 mini usb interface that I'll probably replace one day, likely with one of the ones you've suggested.

I'm not sure how it works though, is there still a benefit to having better onboard audio when using an external interface anyway or is it removed from the equation?

 

[SpyderTracks]

Please don’t go for anything behringer, apart from their new synth reproductions which are fantastic, they do have rather a poor reputation in the audio world for systemic reasons over a few decades

 

[superconfirm]

Hear what you're saying but used them for over 10 years for on-site video editing / mixing monitoring and never an issue. Maybe just lucky 🤔

 

[jergil]

@SpyderTracks @FigmentOfYourImagination

Hi both,

PC arrived and it came with the mesh top on, rather than the solid one (which came in the box). Big requirement for me was that the PC be quiet, but it's not quiet at all. I'm a bit concerned about putting the solid top on as it would cover what appears to be the exhaust for the AIO. Did I mess up by going with the default option of the top mounted AIO?

 

[SpyderTracks]

@SpyderTracks @FigmentOfYourImagination

Hi both,

PC arrived and it came with the mesh top on, rather than the solid one (which came in the box). Big requirement for me was that the PC be quiet, but it's not quiet at all. I'm a bit concerned about putting the solid top on as it would cover what appears to be the exhaust for the AIO. Did I mess up by going with the default option of the top mounted AIO?

So after you've configured it, it's loud? Which fans are loud? If it's loud after you've configured things, it's because somethings not right and needs troubleshooting.

Best to open a thread in technical support.

 

[jergil]

@SpyderTracks. The case is basically open, which kind of defeats the purpose of it being a quiet case. It is loud enough that my mics will easily pick it up when recording and I can hear the fan noise very clearly through my open cup headphones. Is it loud for most people? Maybe not, and I don't think anything is necessarily wrong, but it's definitely not quiet. It's much louder than my old PC for sure, which is in the same case but with the solid top. So can I put the solid top on?

Edit to answer your question about configuring it: My configuration consisted of installing the GPU, which is hard to get wrong. I specified in advance what it would be and they had the right PCIE cable waiting for it. Otherwise I just let Windows do its thing. It's sitting at idle.

Edit 2 about which fans: It's the top mounted fans and the pump for sure. GPU isn't under load; I can't hear much of anything from it.

 

[SpyderTracks]

@SpyderTracks. The case is basically open, which kind of defeats the purpose of it being a quiet case. It is loud enough that my mics will easily pick it up when recording and I can hear the fan noise very clearly through my open cup headphones. Is it loud for most people? Maybe not, and I don't think anything is necessarily wrong, but it's definitely not quiet. It's much louder than my old PC for sure, which is in the same case but with the solid top. So can I put the solid top on?

Edit to answer your question about configuring it: My configuration consisted of installing the GPU, which is hard to get wrong. I specified in advance what it would be and they had the right PCIE cable waiting for it. Otherwise I just let Windows do its thing. It's sitting at idle.

Edit 2 about which fans: It's the top mounted fans and the pump for sure. GPU isn't under load; I can't hear much of anything from it.

Yes, the top is supposed to be open with an AIO, that's how it vents the air through the radiator.

But it won't be loud in any way shape or form, if it is, it's because something is set up incorrectly and needs troubleshooting.

If you open a thread in technical support we can go through it.

 

[jergil]

Ok thanks for your help, will do.

 

[Scott]

IIRC even with the cover on the top there are airgaps around the cover to allow breathing.

I would check the iCue software to see what it is set at. If it's set at extreme then it's going to be quite noisy. Balanced should be quieter but quiet would be the best option for the fans (balanced or extreme for the pump, whatever you can live with).

Everyone has different levels of sensitivity so you would need to attempt to record the PC from 2 or 3 feet to give us an impression of what you mean as loud though.